The last stretch before break is fast approaching: finals week. The dreaded exam period fills students with anxiety as they try to find the study method that works best for them. Fortunately, we’ve found a few that work pretty well.
The “no phone” method
This method is pretty self-explanatory. By not letting yourself use your phone, whether it’s through powering it down, putting it out of reach or simply leaving it in another room, you eliminate a major distraction.
The Feynman Technique
Nobel prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman developed a simple technique in order to better understand a subject. The method is to simply look at the material you are studying, and then pretend that you are explaining the concepts to a 12-year-old child. By putting it in simpler terms, you force yourself to think more in-depth about the subject, adding to your understanding.
Rewriting notes
This is a method that I can strongly attest to. Not only will it refresh your memory of the material you’re aiming to study, but the physical act of writing your notes out forces your brain to be a more active participant in the studying process, which enables you to better commit the subject matter to memory.
Studying in intervals
By studying in intervals, you give your brain time to rest, allowing it to better retain the information being studied. This is known as the Pomodoro Technique, and it recommends studying for 25 minutes, followed by a short five-minute break. However, some may find it easier to study for fifteen minutes, and others may find it easier to study for fifty minutes and break for ten. It’s all up to your personal preference!
Taking practice tests
Research has shown that by answering practice questions in a simulated test, it allows for active retrieval of information in the brain, which allows the student to commit the information to memory better and have an easier time retrieving that information during the actual test. There are also websites that are built for this, such as Quizlet.
Mind Mapping
If you’re a visual learner, this is an ideal technique for you. By creating a map that connects concepts to other concepts with explanations as to why you’re better able to visualize the material in a way that is more palatable for you.
