It’s officially near exam time!
Time to burn the midnight oil for most people! More often than not, most of us believe in last minute preparations which help us scrape through with decent grades.
While toppers are the butt of jokes for their serious preparations, we secretly envy them, don’t we? After all, who wouldn’t like to get good grades? It’s the preparation that actually puts us off. Rest assured, you can actually get REALLY good grades without any extraordinary preparation.
This is achieved not by studying hard, but studying smart for your exams! Here’s how to study for exams effectively keeping in mind these important tips which will help you crack any exam in the world with ease.
Enjoy these memes as you read along.
How to study for exams effectively
1) Perfect your style of studying
Firstly identify your style! The four basic styles of studying by any person are
- Visual – learn fast when study material is depicted in a visual way. E.g. Diagrams, charts, maps etc.
- Auditory – Such people learn fast listening to lectures and their own recordings
- Emotional– associating emotions and vivid images with the topic
- Kinesthetic – “Learning by doing” is loved by such people
Once you effectively find your style, try to organize your study material that way, for e.g. the visual types can draw a lot of diagrams or study through charts, auditory types can record the study material and listen etc. This goes a long way in helping you grasp the topic fast.
2) Create a plan
You need ideas on how to study for exams effectively, right? So, it doesn’t mean that you can prepare in a haphazard manner. If you need smart preparations, spend some time creating a game plan. Maintain a tab of:
- Daily schedule of tasks
- Important topics to be covered
- The books you need to read
- Preparing according to exam pattern
3) Simplify the framework
As you study you will notice a pattern in each subject. Identify the framework for e.g. if it’s Physics – each experiment or theory is backed by a theorem, proof, description, implementation etc. Develop such a framework and study accordingly so that you remember all important points.
4) Visualize the topics
This is something you will find really useful! Don’t think of any subject as words, numbers or sentences- instead think in pictures! It is going to be like directing a movie in your mind for each topic. For e.g. if you are studying the functioning of a motor, visualize each part in your mind as you study.
(It’s said that even memory artists remember infinite numbers and objects by linking each with a picture and a funny story! Try it out!)
5) Summarize
Imagine your book has 500-1000 pages. It’s impossible not to be overwhelmed! Worry not; just create summaries as you read through the book. Identify key statements and remember them. Mark points which examiners will look for in exams in a summary of the topic.
These summaries will also help you skip a lot of irrelevant data and help you understand the topic when you study again after a long time.
6) Separate the important topics
Even as you listen to lectures in college and school, always keep highlighting the important points. Take notes when listening to class on what’s important and add these up in your exams. As you listen in at class, keep a tab and separate what’s important from unimportant.
These simple but useful tips will surely go a long way in helping you in your pursuit. You do not have to read an entire book, no picking loads of books from the library.Just plan, stay focused and identify what’s important.
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