With midterms going on and finals coming up in less than two months, we are ALL stressed out about making sure we bring our grades up. Studying can be hard, especially when you could be watching netflix or partying! Here are 13 tricks to help you study and get that good GPA!
1. Study every day
Cramming everything in the night before the exam just won’t do it. Your brain needs time to memorize everything.
2. Create flashcards on Quizlet
By doing this, you don’t need to bring a stack of notecards everywhere you go! Your notes will automatically be on your phone, allowing you to study from anywhere at anytime.
3. Take practice tests and assign homework to yourself
By doing practice problems and taking practice tests, you’ll actually test your knowledge. This will allow you to see what you know versus what you don’t know.
4. If you get distracted easily, use apps that limit your access to your phone
Some apps will actually limit your access to Facebook or Snapchat, but others, like “Forest,” will help you completely stay off of your phone!
5. Set timers and alarms
Set an alarm for whenever you want to start studying, and once you get to work, set a timer for however long you’d like to spend on that subject!
6. Rewrite your notes
The brain can learn better if you actually write things down, so rewrite your notes, whether they were already handwritten or taken on a laptop. For this, you can use color-coding, drawings, charts, or anything that would help YOU.
7. Teach the information others
Teaching is the best way to learn. Having to actually say the information out loud to someone to help them understand the concept will help you remember it and will give you confidence.
8. Use white noise or classical music
If you have loud neighbors or a distracting roommate, block out all the distractions by putting headphones in and playing white noise, rain sounds, or music!
9. Treat yo self
Give yourself incentives to study and to do well! Place snacks at the end of certain paragraphs when you’re reading or treat yourself to a mani-pedi or to a shopping spree if you get the grades you want!
10. Get organized and manage your time
By having an agenda or a calendar where you can write due dates and important dates down, you’ll feel less stressed out, which will help you be more relaxed while taking exams.
11. Record your professors if they speak too quickly for you
Some professors seem to never stop to breathe, making it difficult to get everything down on a piece of paper. Of course, you shouldn’t be writing down every single word they say, but even getting the main points can prove to be difficult. With their approval, take videos or audio records of class time! You can then listen to it at a later time and write notes down.
12. Study groups are key
Working with other students in your class will allow you to talk about the information out loud and to reword everything. It can also be helpful in case you missed something in class or aren’t sure about something!
13. Sing the information or listen to songs about it
Music can stick, it’s why they use it in commercials. By singing a song about the material or by learning a song about it, it will likely stick and will make the information easier for you to retain!