Now I’m not an expert in education – or much else for that matter – but with the IB exams taking place this month I have been observing interesting differences between my study style and my peers’. A lot of people don’t do as well when it comes to major examinations not because they are lacking in mental faculties, but instead they effort on a studying routine that is inefficient and time-consuming. Though nothing compares to good’old home-style studying, there are certain ways to make preparing for any exam a lot more bearable and effective.
1. Process over memorization
Sure, anyone could remember the date when the London Naval Conferences took place, or the formula for Gibb’s Free Energy in chemistry. But it is a pain trying to memorize hard facts and there is no guarantee that by the test you will remember them all. Instead a better method may be to understand why a event is important by analyzing causes and effects, or understanding the reasoning behind a certain formula. Understanding is always better than memorizing formulas and when it comes time for them to be applied, they can be more easily manipulated to fit your needs.
2. Don’t cram the day before
Face it, if you are awake at 5 a.m. trying to understand buffers, you’re probably not going to make much progress. Stress and sleep deprivation may have the direct opposite effect and you may find yourself with less on the test. If there is something you really don’t understand, then you sure won’t suddenly master it right before the exam. Instead, make sure the things that you can do you grasp with a firm understanding. Make sure you are solid on what you do know.
3. Find patterns
There are a lot of causes of wars, so how does one remember them all? Though it may seem to be a daunting task, there are actually underlying patterns and commonalities that exist. Instead of trying to remember facts for all, why not remember common themes or genres that can be applied to more than one scenario. By studying patterns, you can study for more than one scenario, as well as connecting them to gain greater understanding.
4. Study “smart”
Understand the curriculum. If you are preparing for a major examination in biology and you know evolution psychology is not in the curriculum, why study it? As much as a comprehensive approach to study is needed it is also sometimes best to trim (I hesitate to say “cut corners”) the information required to something focused on the test that you are about to take.
5. Keep calm
Its not the end of the world if you don’t know how to solve that one physics problem on the test. One test, and surely one question, will not destroy your chance at a happy and successful future. We have the privilege of living in a country that embraces freedom of opportunity and everyone can find a good living with some effort. So if you do find yourself stumped on a question, move on and come back to it later. If its still difficult to answer and there are no penalties for trying (there rarely is), then just try your best. Freaking out may hinder your thinking process.
These are just few of the strategies that can help a person achieve a better understanding or score on a test. In the end a test is but a test, so don’t be too stressed for it. Relax and find the way to study for you. Do you have any learning strategies that appeal or work for you? What are your experiences with studying for tests?
