“I’m so screwed!” The attention-seeking cry of the student that has done it again: putting off studying for the exams until the last minute, then foreseeing a caffeine fueled all nighter.
SCENE: Library: two students stressing for the HSC:
A: Omigod I’m so screwed for this test!
B: I didn’t read half of the textbook!
A: Well I never opened mine!
B: Well I almost failed the Trials
A: Well I’m brain-damaged because I wouldn’t stop banging my head against my locker !
Tip 1: Skip the “I’m so screwed” competitions: stressing for an exam and talking about how screwed you are, is not going to help. It’s only being counterproductive and wasting more time
Tip 2: Don’t over-study. It’s tempting to stay in the library until the wee hours of the morning when you see your friends and classmates doing the same. Studying for long stretches of time is actually less effective than short, varied sessions. Mixing up where you study and the types of studying you do (reviewing notes, reading, talking through concepts with a classmate) is more effective than long, drawn out sessions in the library with no end in sight. So go ahead and meet your friends for dinner — it’s good for your grades
Tip 3: Use the 50/10 Rule. It always works: Work hard for 50 minutes, no breaks, no distractions. Every time you get distracted the 50 minutes starts again. Once you hit 50, take a 10 minute break. Check your Whatsapp, your email, go for a wander, get a coffee, whatever you want. Then back to work! Training yourself this way forces you to work 80% of the time, which is useful for the rest of your life, in whatever you do.
Tip 4: No more all-nighters. This one’s easy. You’re better off sleeping and knowing a little less, than “knowing” everything but not being able to remember it. And no, prescription drugs aren’t the answer either.
Tip 5: Hoarding study materials doesn’t help you. Students spend the days leading up to exams stockpiling handouts, photocopies, printouts and textbooks by the video game logic that simply owning books makes you smarter. Your head won’t absorb knowledge because you built a library on your table. If you find yourself doing this, simply take a deep breath, and tell yourself it’s not your fault. You’re trying to cram three months worth of information into a brain that stress has tricked into thinking it’s being chased be a bear. Hell, you’re lucky you’re not wearing your socks on your hands right now.
Instead, try starting with something manageable like reading one book you were supposed to have read and summarise it concisely.
Tip 6: Note taking. Summarising concisely doesn’t mean copying out the textbook. You need to read and take notes actively.
Think about what you are reading and note down summaries (keep them as brief as possible). Use memory tools or symbols wherever possible to help you remember things
Tip 7: Group studying can be a time-suck. Students often think that studying with a group will help them understand a semester’s worth of work. If one classmate remembers the material from the second week and another mastered the fourth week, coming together can help everyone ace the final, right? In my experience — both from working with students as a tutor and as a student myself — studying with a group often results in the realization that everyone is confused by the same material. Discussing how no one understands something is a waste of everyone’s time.
A better option? Skip group meetings until you feel confident with the material. Then teach it to someone else. Teach your parents or your siblings or your best friend. Try and explain to them what you learnt and vocalize it. It’s the best way to retain information.
Finally, Tip 8: consult with your teachers and do practice exams. These two things are probably the most useful materials for you when cramming for the exams that are oh so close now.
Log on to www.getintellect.com and make good use of the Tutors. No, this is not a sales pitch but given you have little time left and your teachers are probably not available, make use of those experts out there ready to help! They can help review all the practice you are doing and give you ways on improving your exam technique. And practice exams will help you hone in on where you need to do some extra study.
Keep calm and good luck!
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