The exam season is nearly here and it’s a nervy dash to the finish line. While preparing for final tests, the majority of college students get a lot of advice about best practices, but it’s also important to know what traps to avoid. Although they often intend well, many of the ambitious minds commit critical mistakes and therefore suffer in the long run.
Make sure you are getting the most out of studying before your exams by avoiding these 5 silly mistakes:
1. Not Looking at the Big Picture
How can you know which tests are the most important to prepare for if you don’t know what grade you need to get on your final exam to achieve your desired score for the course? Create a list of all the upcoming deadlines and exams that are on the horizon. It makes sense to dedicate more time to studying for the classes in which your grade on the final test is more valuable. So find a balance that you feel comfortable with.
2. Using Your Phone as a Timer
Whenever you study it’s quite important to keep an eye on your watch to maintain your work schedule. However, don’t use your phone as a clock, you will just get even more distracted by other notifications and text messages. In fact, put your phone on silent mode and in a hard-to-reach place. Your granny’s egg timer works perfectly fine and makes a loud beeping noise that you will look forward to hearing.
3. Relying on Lecture Recordings
Recordings are an essential supplement for your studies, but you should take notes and actually pay attention as things are being taught. Moreover, a lot of college students suppose that they will get ready for the exam if they attend their classes, browse the study guides professors have handed out, and visit the professors’ test review sessions. But that’s not enough either. If you really want to do well on your final tests, contact the teaching assistants, use additional resources and other tools to understand the underlying concepts.
4. Studying Lying Down
The body position you pick to prepare for your final exams is vital for success. While it’s okay to browse your notes lying comfortably on your bean bag sometimes, it’s not the ideal spot to get the most out of your study time. It’s highly recommended to do so sitting at a table in the right state of mind. Besides, studying lying down is a serious mistake college students make because it facilitates sleep and prevents being able to concentrate.
5. Not Being Ready for the Unexpected
Every time there are oodles of tests coming up at once, there is always something that goes wrong all of a sudden. You are more likely to spill coffee on your keyboard, or have spontaneous laptop crashes when you are already on edge. Back up your computer to an online source or external hard drive to make sure you don’t lose all of your notes for the entire semester.
Above all, try not to stress yourself out more than is required of you, and study smart. Good luck on your exams!
