How To: Study a Difficult Subject

Whether it’s a University Studies class required by your school (TWO years of a foreign language, UNCW? Really?) or a difficult class you’ve come across in your major, studying for a subject that you’re struggling with can be daunting.  Sometimes you get so confused, you don’t even know what you don’t know, and that can make studying feel pretty impossible. I somehow managed to pass both Spanish 120 and Spanish 201 with an A in each course, and here’s what I learned:   

The internet is your friend. 

Google exams for the course, and use them for practice. 

Make good use of Quizlet and StudyBlue, which are both free sites that have saved my life on countless occasions. You can make sets of flashcards, play games with them, and share the sets with your classmates. 

The trick to using websites to study is to keep yourself on track, though, so don’t get distracted! 

Practice problems > almost any other study technique. 

If you have tests, quizzes, homework assignments, or anything else that your professor has graded and given back to you, USE THEM! 

Go over the old assignments and see where you had issues. Put those topics/concepts first on your list of things to study, and review them often. 

Pay attention in class. 

I know how easy it is to zone out during class when it seems like the professor is at the front drawing diagrams and spitting out vocab that goes way over your head. 

Copy the diagrams anyway. Write the words down and look them up later. Go to your professor’s office hours, or talk to them after class. Sometimes, if a professor sees that you’re truly making an effort, they might take that into account when they’re marking up your final grades. Participation grades will save your GPA. Just sayin’. 

Make review sheets. 

These are almost as important as doing practice problems and practice exams. 

Look at your notes and textbook, and pick out the most important pieces, like vocabulary, diagrams, and key concepts. These are often highlighted by the textbook already. 

Make these sheets neat, like you’re writing a condensed textbook of your own for the course, so that they’ll be useful to you. 

Stay organized.

Don’t miss class, don’t miss any assignments, and don’t lose your review sheets!

Keep your desk organized, and pay attention to the way you’re setting up your study space. 

Summarize and condense. 

Imagine that you live in a perfect world, and your professor has said, “Class, I’m going to let you have a cheat sheet for the test. One piece of paper, write down everything you need, and bring it to the test.” 

I often make these sheets based off of my review sheets, which are usually pretty long and involved. 

Before a test, I’ll make a sheet that has basic concepts and anything I’m struggling with on it. Make charts, draw connections, and limit yourself to the ESSENTIAL information. 

The neater, the better. 

What are some tips you use to study in your difficult classes? 

Let us know on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook! 

All photos, including thumbnail, courtesy of pexels.com

• help
• life hacks
• math
• school
• science
• studying