Exams are here! There are many things to consider when it comes to preparing for the exam. EUC has made a list of things that you should or shouldn’t do when studying.
1. No phones. I have noticed that when I have a phone near me, I usually tend to check it every 10 mins or so – and as soon as I check it, I end up spending around 20 mins. That’s not good since you lose your focus from the subject, therefore making it difficult to come back to the place that you paused from in your studies. Therefore, hide your phone away from the studying area. I usually hide it in my bag, turn off the WiFi and have a timer set on my watch so that I can only check it again at a certain time.
2. Do not write down the whole chapter in your notes. Instead, select the key- words that explain the theory. It will not only save you time in terms of memorizing the information, but it will also help you remember the information for a long time. I still remember theories that I studied during my bachelor only because the keywords sort of stuck in my head.
3. Use different colours when making notes. We have different types of memories – some people are good at listening to something and remember it better than they do when reading from notes. Some people have a strong visual memory, therefore, using pencils of different colors can increase your chances of not forgetting the information during the exam as you can simply picture it in your mind.
4. Take breaks! I cannot stress this enough – our brain needs time to rest in order to process new information. Although, there are people who strongly believe that our brain is a machine and it can work non-stop – remind yourself of the last time you felt so exhausted that at some point your brain was rejecting any new information it was receiving. Breaks are good – remember it.
5. Change your locations of studying if you have a chance. Somehow, I noticed that by changing places of studying, it sort of encourages me to study more and for longer periods of time. Plus, you also discover new places and might actually get a chance to meet someone new.
6. Try to listen to music while studying. It usually depends on people of course, however, I found it useful to listen to music while studying. There are millions of playlists that you can find on YouTube – I always say, you’ll never know until you try. You are probably the person who cannot imagine studying with music on – but imagine if studying with music could, actually, benefit you?