When it comes to midterms and final exams, there are two things students need to master in order to do well. First, of course, you need a strong grasp of the material that will be on the test. But there's more to it than that. In order to do well on college exams, you also need to learn how to study. Unfortunately, high schools don't necessarily prepare students for this important skill.
Remember, learning how to take college level tests takes practice, so if you don't do so well at first, keep at it! Here are some tips on how to study successfully for college midterms and finals.
Time Management
Before you start to study, make sure you have an sufficient amount of time to complete this task. Keep in mind that the amount of time you'll need to study for a college exam is probably quite a bit more than the time you needed to study in high school.
If you keep your whole schedule organized, it will be easier for you to schedule in time to study for each of your exams. Here are some time management tips for college students
Study Environment
What's the best environment for studying for an exam? For the most part, that's a personal decision. Some students need dead quiet. Some students have trouble concentrating without background music or other noise in the room. Some students study better alone, and others need company. The trick is to figure out what works best for you.
Get Help From the Professor or TA
Here's an important tip that professors frequently tell their students, but that students frequently ignore. Look over the material at least several days before the exam, and then ask the professor if you have any questions! Of course, this means you can't put off your studying until the last minute.
In addition, take full advantage of any additional help from the professor. Here are some of the ways your teacher may offer help-- and the best ways for you to get the most out of this help.
- Study sessions. Professors or TAs sometimes offer a time either during or outside of class for students to ask questions. To get the most out of these study sessions, come prepared. Look over the material ahead of time and arrive with questions. Don't rely on other students to ask questions.
- Study sheets. Some instructors give students study sheets that give the student some idea of what to study for the exam. Unfortunately, study sheets often do more harm than good because students sometimes rely too heavily on them. It's not enough to answer the questions on the study sheet as your only means of preparation! This is not useful because additional material may be on the exam, and because by studying in this manner, it's difficult to understand how the material fits together. If you are given a study sheet, the best thing to do is to study first without it, and then go back over the material with the study sheet to make sure you haven't missed anything.
- Exam questions. Some professors give students essay questions or other parts of the test ahead of time.Take advantage of this gift and answer all of the questions ahead of time.
- Previous exams. Some teachers make copies of previous exam questions available to the class. Be sure to look these over, and make sure you can answer all the questions correctly.
Figure Out What's Important
As you study, pay special attention to what the professor thinks is most important. You can make educated guesses that certain kinds of material will be on the test:
- Anything the professor told you was important.
- Anything that was covered in detail in class.
- Anything that was covered quite a bit in both the readings and the lectures.
- Anything about which the professor feels strongly.
Flashcards and Other Tricks
For many students, it's helpful to write things down as you study. This helps reinforce the information in your mind, and it also gives you an easy way to look over information before the test.
One popular way of studying in this manner is by using flashcards, usually created with index cards. This is a good way to learn definitions and important words, as you can write the word on one side and the definition on the other. Be careful, though-- make sure you fully understand what the definition actually means, and how it relates to the rest of the material.
Another helpful trick is to make a succinct outline of your notes and the readings. If you do this, be careful not to leave out any material that's important.
Some students find it helpful simply to scribble down notes on a piece of paper as they study, or type things into a Word document. Although this isn't the most organized way to study, this method can be effective in helping to reinforce material.
Study Groups
Does it pay to study with a group of other students? Sometimes, but you have to know how to run and attend a study group effectively. Here are some tips for how to have an effective study group.
Best of luck as you study for your exams! For more tips, here are some college test taking strategies.
