In the educational systems of most countries, The exam is that moment when our learning becomes an all or nothing task
Days or even weeks of attending classes and studying on our own can fail if, when it comes to taking the tests that are given in the exams, we fail. That is why mastering study methods well is very important when it comes to making the most of our knowledge and capabilities.
Spain is a country with a serious problem in its educational system; In both primary and secondary schools they do not teach students effective ways to study, something that should be key in the learning process. In my first year at university I only limited myself to memorizing, a task that seemed very tedious, so I I started looking for other methods to study for exams
As soon as I had mastered these new methodologies (since there is no single infallible one) my grades improved a lot; In most subjects I rose to more than three points (in exams with a maximum score of 10). The truth is that I doubt I would have gotten such good grades without these study techniques; University is hard and at that time I had to understand and assimilate a lot of information. It was clear that the study methods worked for me, and I think they can also be useful for anyone who needs to pass exams That’s why I decided to share them.
The best study techniques and methods
The tips that I will explain will help you for any subject: competitive exams, English, etc. However, these study methods are not a panacea for laziness: Effort and perseverance are the basis of success!
Thinking about the image that you have 2-3 hours of study ahead of you is, let’s say, not very… stimulating. But there is a way to make it less heavy:
Take a break every 50-60 minutes and do an activity you like for 10 minutes: watching television, reading, exercising, etc. It is a matter of knowing that the effort is not going to be superhuman, quite the opposite; It is about combining the effort dedicated to studying with pleasant or leisure activities, so we unconsciously associate studying with something positive and bearable.
2. Get rid of distractions!
Are you the classic student who is in class checking Facebook every minute or doodling in the notebook? Don’t fear, there are many of those. They are the same ones who study 1 hour out of every 4.
This is because it takes almost 10 minutes to reach a full state of concentration. At this point, if this concentration process is interrupted actively or passively, you will have to restart the process.
And what can we do to avoid getting distracted? Avoid social networks, hide your cell phone or turn it off, stay away from the TV, etc. They are small details that, although they may seem insignificant, matter. This study method can be summarized like this: when it’s your turn to rest, rest and don’t complicate your life, but when it’s time to study, don’t dedicate yourself to anything else.
3. Music to concentrate
We will agree that playing heavy metal or electronic songs to study works for very few people… but despite the popular belief that you should not listen to music when studying, There are certain melodies and sounds that can help you enter a state of relaxation You can try, for example, with musical pieces to meditate.
In college I never studied the day before the exam, nor on the same day Nor for the most important exams such as finals. The key is to study months in advance, a little every day. If you study for an exam that you have in two months for an hour or two a day, you are guaranteed success.
The information will be structured in your mind in the long term, it will be preserved for a long time and you will be able to use it when you need it. If you study in a hurry the day before, or two or three days before, you may pass, but the knowledge will not be well established and you will end up forgetting it. Things will get difficult for you in the future when teachers assume that you remember the contents of previous lessons.
5. Mind maps
A mind map is a schematic image used to represent words, ideas or concepts linked around a central idea. Mind maps are a very good method of memorizing information. I recommend it!
6. Do physical exercise
Although it may not seem like it, exercise can be part of your study methods. According to a study from the University of Illinois, Doing 20-30 minutes of exercise before an exam improves concentration Many times, before an exam I have gone to the gym to de-stress, after all I had studied well in advance and could afford it (as a reward).
From my point of view it is a big mistake to think that the day of the exam or the day before you have to spend studying until the last minute. We must give ourselves time to rest and train our muscles to be in the best physical condition possible before submitting ourselves to the pressure of an exam. We are humans!
If you change places where you study, you will improve your concentration and be able to retain more data This is because studying in the same place, whether actively or passively, ends up irritating us. Introducing new variables into the study breaks that routine and gives us a boost of oxygen to study.
A good option would be to alternate between your home and various public libraries.
8. Eat well and healthy
Hunger will make you without energy and distracted I recommend that you eat something before studying, especially almonds (as they contain phenylalaline, which stimulates neurons) and beets (uridine monophosphate helps improve cognitive abilities).
9. Keep a positive spirit!
A positive mindset is of great help when it comes to getting good grades Many classmates, by giving excessive importance to the results, worried excessively about what they do and experience outbursts of anxiety before exams, which conditions them and keeps them distracted (the self-fulfilling prophecy). That is why it is important to stay calm and have a positive attitude.
Furthermore, being pessimistic about the results we are going to obtain gives us an excuse to stop trying. It is a phenomenon similar to what is known as learned helplessness.
10. Do mock exams
Imitating an exam through a simulation is many times more useful than reading or underlining You will rethink possible logical questions (which will possibly coincide with those of the real exam) and you will help regulate previous anxiety, since the “real” exam will only be one of many.
Furthermore, taking mock exams is one of the most useful study methods, because it helps you discover gaps and weaknesses in your knowledge.
