With finals coming up, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. It might feel like you have a lot more on your plate than usual, with test after test, day in and day out.Â
Your schedule might look like this: study, test, study, maybe have a snack here and there, try to fit in a few hours of sleep, then do it all over again tomorrow.Â
What if I told you that exam season didn’t have to be as difficult as you might be making it in your mind? With the right study methods, you’ll be able to get through exam week like a breeze. It’s all about finding what works for you, but it can be difficult to get started. Here are some of my biggest study hacks that have certainly helped me overcome test stress over the past few years.
- Find Your Place
The first step when it comes to studying is to find a place where you can fully focus. I like to find quiet places to study with minimal distractions, preferably places that are meant solely for studying. My favorite place is my campus library, especially the quiet areas. Everyone at the library goes to get work done or to clear their heads, which keeps me held accountable; I feel more motivated in a place where others are motivated as well. For me, this means avoiding the dining halls for work! The dining halls are extremely distracting to me since they have a constantly bustling atmosphere and so much goes on all the time.
- Listen to Music
Some people find listening to music while studying distracting, but I find it helps block outside distractions. The key is to find the right music. I would recommend instrumental music since music with words can get distracting with the constant overlapping of what you are reading/writing and the lyrics of the song. Lo-Fi music used to help me focus while studying, since it is mostly music without lyrics and it’s super chill and upbeat, helping to boost my mood. Now, I like to listen to instrumental jazz music; I find it calming and it gets me in a studious mindset. You can listen to anything, but my recommendation is instrumental! You can even look up piano versions of your favorite songs.
- Grab Your Favorite Snack
I always find that having something to snack on makes studying more enjoyable, and that might be because your favorite foods stimulate good-feeling chemicals in your brain. Studying on an empty stomach isn’t the best idea, so I like to bring a snack like fruit or something else light. Since I’m a caffeine addict, I typically like to buy a coffee or make an energy drink. Caffeine doesn’t work for everyone, so I’m not going to recommend that, but it’s one of my favorite things — so grab yours!
- Make Study Materials With Quizlet
Quizlet has honestly been a godsend for me. It’s a common misconception that you need to pay to study with Quizlet, but the truth is just that you get extra (and honestly, unnecessary) quirks by paying for Quizlet Plus. The basic tools that Quizlet provides have helped me a lot, especially with the recent AI updates. You can create AI study sets and practice tests with just a few clicks! I do this every time I have an exam I have to study for, and I like to retake them until I understand everything.
- Study Until You Feel Confident
No, I’m not saying to cram it all in a day. It’s best to make a study schedule that spans anywhere from a few days to weeks. I like to study in bits; a few hours every day. I don’t put pressure on myself to understand every concept in one day. Instead, I like to break my material into pieces and make sure I at least understand certain concepts every day. Breaking up your material and studying it until you feel confident will help with memory retention.
- Take Breaks
So many people sit down to study, intending to go nonstop for hours. This typically ends in getting bored, distracted, and not fully retaining the information. It’s best to ingest your information in segments of time. In high school, I used to study with one of my friends and we would often practice the “20 minutes on, 20 minutes off” method. This sounds self-explanatory, but it essentially means that we would study for 20 minutes, and then take a break for 20 minutes. A break could mean anything — chatting with a friend, drinking some water, or simply closing your eyes and taking a breather. Anything that helps you recharge your brain to be ready for the next 20 minutes will work!
- Positive Self-Talk
It’s easy to get in your head, especially during such a stress-filled time like exam season. The important thing while studying is that you are kind to yourself! When I don’t understand a concept fully, I tend to overthink and doubt my overall abilities, which does not exactly do wonders for my attention span or work ethic. When this happens, I think about the fact that I am putting in an effort, making progress, and getting better as I keep going. I think of progress as a process, not an immediate result of me sitting down and deciding to put the work in.
The important thing is to remember that you are more capable than you think. By using the study hacks in this article, you will not only navigate exam season more effectively but also build lasting habits that will make learning less overwhelming in the future.Â
Take it one step at a time: find your focus, create a plan, and give yourself the grace to take breaks and celebrate progress, no matter how small. Most importantly, keep in mind that your worth goes far beyond your grades. Exams are temporary, but the resilience and skills you are building now will carry you far. You’ve got this!