Tests are the worst thing about school. Especially in Grade 12, where the majority of your mark depends on tests. I have a couple tips and study methods I use to help me get ready for tests that I would like to share.
1) Pay Attention in Class
It may be obvious but paying attention in class can really work wonders. It frustrates me when people bug me in the middle of notes and later complain that they didn’t understand any of it. If you be an active participant in class and pay attention you will take the most of it, so pay attention!
2) Do Your Homework
Throughout high school there are a lot of assignments that are not worth any marks, and people tend to put them aside. I’m telling you not to do that. There is a reason the teachers assign you homework from the textbook each day: so you can learn. It’s not that they are lazy and enjoy seeing kids wallow in the mounds of homework (I would like to think). Do your homework and you will receive the best results, I promise.
3) Make Your Own Notes for Review
When I don’t have homework I usually open up a textbook and take some notes on the computer about the unit. It doesn’t hurt to learn the material twice – heck, learning from multiple sources is the best way to get a lot of information. Before a test, open up that physics textbook and take down some notes about the unit test and you will be surprised at how much it helps.
4) Chew Gum During Tests
It may be myth, but it doesn’t hurt to believe in it. It is said that chewing gum can stimulate your thought process and therefore improve your memory. Even if it doesn’t work maybe you can get some false confidence from it.
5) Don’t Listen to Music When You Study (Unless Classical)
A substitute teacher once told me that listening to music when you study can negatively affect you during a test because the environment in which you study in is different than your test environment, which can in turn affect your memory. However there is another myth that says if you listen to classical music while you study, it can help you memorize information easier.
6) Don’t Cram
It may work for some people but for a majority, it doesn’t. The best thing to do before a test is just lightly review the material. Trying to cram new information and textbook rubbish will only increase your stress level, and during a test, panicking is the last thing you want to do.
7) Get Some Sleep!
I am very bad for this one. Sleep is nature’s medicine. It gives you energy and awareness. Without sleep you cannot concentrate and you will have a constant ringing in your head the whole day. Without sleep we are just mindless zombies walking around. Being well rested for a test is the single most important tool you can have on your side.
8 ) Don’t Cheat the System
If you don’t know how to do a majority of a test don’t do something idiotic like ABACADABA for multiple choice tests. It doesn’t work. If all else fails, especially for multiple choice tests, use some common sense, harness some of the information you do know and ask yourself: does this make sense?
I hope that you might find some of these tricks and tips useful and will help you on your future test taking endeavors.