How to Study:

As a grade 11 student, I have gotten to a point where I have taken several tests and have an idea of how to prepare for different subjects. I have studied for things such as AP exams, the DELE exam, and just your average unit tests. From these experiences, I can conclude that each subject requires one to use different study techniques. After many days of online school over the past two years, people (even myself) may have forgotten efficient techniques to help you study and succeed! But, have no fear! Below are some strategies I have used to help me get good grades on my tests.

• Review your notes the day you learn something new: I know it can be difficult to review your notes in a limited time; however, this will help your memory later on when you are studying for tests. Subjects like math, biology, social studies, and languages may be the type of subjects you take notes on. If that’s the case, rereading your notes the day you learned them will also help you have a better understanding of what is going on in class. Multiple sources have also shown that if we review our work consistently, then we work on helping our long-term memory instead of our short-term memory. According to the curve of forgetting, one should review their notes the day they learned something, then two days later, two weeks later, a month later, and so on. This can all depend on your schedule, so it is crucial you stay organized. 1

• How do you review your notes for tests? I know I said simply reading it on the day you learned something new helps your memory; however, when you are closer to the test date, it is important to study them earlier instead of cramming them the night before. I know we all cram, but in the event that you don’t, you should try testing yourself on what you wrote in your notes. For something like this, I highly recommend the Cornell Notes method. While rewriting notes may make you feel like you are studying, it is time-consuming and is not the most effective (I am guilty of this). Instead, ask yourself questions based on the notes and try creating 1-page summary sheets based on everything you know for the unit. When you make these, try not to let yourself look at your notes or textbook, as you can see how much you know and do not know before the test. These methods fall under something called active recall. Active recall is the process of testing yourself after learning new information.

• Do practice tests: Along with active recall, doing practice tests for the subject you are studying for allows you to see if you are missing any information or are missing any gaps, this will allow you to help you prioritize which areas you need to focus more on if you are short on time. For those of you who are AP, or IB students, there are tons of practice resources online if you search up what you are learning. Even for regular students, there are many practice resources to use, such as questions in textbooks and Exambank. Practice tests also help you decrease the anxiety you might feel before taking a test and boost your confidence. Especially for subjects like math and chemistry, doing as many practice problems as possible will allow you to become more efficient in problem-solving and help you improve on your weak areas.

• Review past errors: If you have old quizzes or tests, reviewing where you went wrong will help you remember not to make the same mistakes again and it will help you determine if you understand why you got things wrong. If you can explain why your error was incorrect, chances are, you have learned from your mistakes!

• Teach someone what you learned: Personally, I find teaching a friend or saying things out loud really beneficial. This also shows you know the material well enough for someone else to learn it, showing a level of mastery of what you have been studying. When you hear yourself speak, you also have a better chance at remembering things. This has been proven in numerous studies, including a study from the University of Waterloo.

• Make a study schedule: If you have midterms and finals, like me, it is useful to create a schedule for all the things you want to review each day leading up to important exams. This will help you stay on track and you can try and maintain balance. Do not forget to give yourself breaks! I highly recommend following a technique called the Pomodoro technique, where you study in 25-minute intervals and take five-minute breaks. This is likely to increase your focus and help you avoid fatigue.

• Reward yourself: Simple things such as giving yourself time to exercise, catch up on a show, or something fun will motivate you to keep going! For example, if you finish writing a paper, maybe reward yourself with an episode on Netflix.

• Limit distractions: I know it can be difficult; however, when I do homework, I try to put my phone in a different room so I do not feel tempted to see my notifications. Around critical exams such as midterms, finals, or AP exams, I also delete apps such as TikTok to help me maximize my study time.

These are just some of the tips I had about studying! I know it can be difficult to continue, but I find thinking about where you want to be in the future a big motivator to continue studying to ace your tests so you can succeed. Also, do not be hard on yourself if you get one bad mark. Take it as a learning opportunity as you continue to grow and use experiences to help you learn! Studying is not always easy, but if you put in the time, it can be useful! Good luck with your next test, exam, or quiz! You got this!

Source for feature image: https://ar.pinterest.com/pin/630222541588242357/