How to Study for Exams

The immediate goal of studying is to help you remember. You are probably never more aware of this than when you're confronted with an examination. If exams make you tense, try to relax. As is the case with most skills, your success on tests is greatly affected by your study technique. Consistent success in taking exams is possible once you understand that your ability to recall information is largely determined by the way you study the material in the first place.

Research clearly shows that learning takes place most effectively when information is processed in small chunks spread out overtime. So, if you want to remember what you study, review ideas a few at a time, many times. The way to get a head start on effective learning is to complete all assignments, including reading, before class. Then attend all classes and take thorough notes. This should be followed by reviewing and editing your notes as soon after class as possible. This process alone will ensure that a significant amount of learning takes place prior to becoming involved in what most students think as actual "study." If you have prepared yourself in this manner, studying for an examination should be largely a matter of systematic review. For most courses, this will involve some SILENT REVIEW, where you alternately read the information you want to learn and then quiz yourself until you can recall it without referring back to your notes.

Many students also find that the motor activity involved in the act of WRITING out information they wish to learn helps them to remember it better. A technique that often accompanies silent review or recitation is the use of CUES. A cue is usually a word, phrase, or question selected because of its ability to trigger the recall of specific information you want to learn. Cues can be incorporated into your notes by placing them in the left-hand margin beside the ideas or information they summarize. You can then study the material by covering your notes and using the cues to help you recall as much as you can. To improve recall, this procedure is repeated until you are able to recall each idea completely.

A good variation of this technique is to write the summary word or phrase on one side of a 3x5 card and place the information you want to recall on the other side. STUDY CARDS offer two important advantages. First, the work involved in making the cards helps you begin to learn. Second, study cards allow you to physically separate and focus on one piece at a time, which can be important for some learners.