How to Study for a Test or Final Exam

The end of the term is drawing near, and that means final exams are looming. How can you give yourself an edge this time around? The most important thing you can do is give yourself plenty of time to prepare. Then follow this simple plan: 1) Study2) Test yourself with a practice test3) Discover your weak areas4) Study again5) Test yourself again That’s the simplified version. For really great results on your finals: Science Says Start Early There are many recent studies that show  that it is important to study in stages. The findings say that its best to  start early and give your brain a rest, then study again. If youre preparing for a comprehensive exam, gather together all the material you’ve received during the term. You probably have handouts, notes, old assignments, and old tests. Don’t leave anything out. Read through your class notes twice. Some things will sound familiar and some things will sound so unfamiliar you’ll swear they were written by somebody else. That’s normal. After you study all your notes for a term, try to come up with themes that connect all of the material. Establish a Study Group or Partner Schedule at least one meeting time with a study partner or study group. If you absolutely can’t get together, then exchange email addresses. Instant messages will work well, too. Invent and use learning games with your group. You could also consider communicating through an online forum like the Homework / Study Tips forum. Use Old Tests Collect your old exams from the year (or semester) and make a photocopy of each one. Whiteout the test answers and copy each one again. Now you have a set of practice tests. For best results, you should make several copies of each old exam and keep taking the tests until you score perfectly on each one. Note: You can’t white out the answers on the original, or you won’t have an answer key! Build Up Your Class Notes Organize your notes by date (do the best you can if you didn’t date your pages) and make note of any missing dates/pages. Get together with a study partner or group to compare notes and fill in any missing material. Don’t be too surprised if you missed key information from the lectures. Everybody zones out once in a while. After you organize your new set of notes, underline any keywords, formulas, themes, and concepts. Make yourself a new practice test with fill-in sentences and term definitions. Print out several tests and practice several times. Ask the members of your study group to make practice tests as well. Then swap. Re-Do Your Old Assignments Gather any old assignments and re-do the exercises. Many textbooks have exercises at the end of every chapter. Review those until you can answer every question with ease. Use Different Textbooks If you’re studying for a math or science exam, find another textbook or study guide that covers the same material that you’ve studied this term. You can find used books at yard sales, used book stores, or in the library. Different textbooks will provide you with different explanations. You might find one that makes something clear for the first time. Other textbooks can also give you a new twist or fresh questions on the same material. Thats exactly what your teacher will do on the final! Invent Your Own Essay Questions For history, political science, literature, or any theory class, focus on themes. Read your notes again and mark anything that looks like it would serve well as an essay question. Which terms make good comparisons? For example, what terms could a teacher use as a â€Å"compare and contrast† question? Try coming up with your own long essay questions by comparing two similar events or similar themes. Have your friend or study partner come up with essay questions and compare.