1. make a study schedule. Time management is key to studying for a test or tests -- if you plan out your time, you'll feel less rushed and hurried and will be able to avoid a Sunday night, 3 AM cram session. Plan out the week before the test to use your time most effectively.
- Try to study over the course of a week, not just one night. Revisiting the information moves it from short-term memory (the kind that disappears almost immediately) to long-term memory, where you can retrieve it for later.[1] Ideally, take a look at the content a little bit every day.
2. Start as soon as possible. If you start on top of things, you'll never have to worry about catching up. Read the textbook assignments, do the homework, and go to class. The studying you do on your own time will then be that much easier.
Organize a notebook and folder for the class. Keep all your papers together when you need to pull them out three months later. Keep your syllabus accessible to use it as a rough outline for the class.
3. Get some sleep. Alright, so we already covered how you should sleep instead of changing your normal routine to wake up early to study because it can ruin your REM cycles. Get as close to 8 hours as possible. Your grades (and parents) will thank you for it.
4. Make time for breakfast. Studies show that students who eat breakfast before a test do better consistently. But you want to keep it to something light and healthy -- focusing on that lump of eggs, bacon, and cheese in your stomach won't do you any favors. Stick to fruits, veggies, whole grains, and light dairy products.
- In fact, research says that your diet the week before the test matters, too! Students that were placed on a high-fat, high-carb diet did worse than those loading up on fruits, veggies, and complex, whole grains. Do yourself, your body, and your mind a favor by eating right.
5. Avoid the last minute cram session. Studying the night before the test will make it even more difficult -- you'll be sleep deprived, groggy, and your mind will not be firing on all pistons. You don't want to gather heaps of information in one night; it's impossible to absorb that much info at once. Straight up, you'll do worse.
- If you don't see the logic, believe the science. Studies show that late-night crammers get average grades.[4] If you're looking for a C, cram away. But if you're looking for something a bit better, avoid it.
6. Study right after waking and just before bed. In the morning, your mind is fresh and clear. Though you wouldn't think it works this way (so simple!), your mind seems to have more room to absorb information right when you wake up.At night, your brain secretes chemicals to cement the information into your memory, so studying right before bed (and when you wake up) is a safe bet. When you know the patterns of your brain, you can take advantage of them!- Research shows that the closer the information is taken in relative to sleep, the more it'll stay in. So review right before bed! What's more, it also shows that getting a good night's rest leads to greater levels of retention. Remember how we said don't cram? There you go.
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