Techniques to Ace Your Tests and Excel at Exams!

Posted on Thursday, November 30th, 2023

A lot of students start stressing about exams early on. It’s totally normal to feel nervous about your performance or to buckle a bit from the pressure of passing your upcoming evaluations. We believe the best way to succeed at studying is to start early, start with what you know the least, and to take care of yourself both mentally and physically.

Deciding What to Study

Before you begin studying, it’s essential that you figure out what you should be studying.

  • Pay attention: Your instructor may give clues or instructions about what material you should focus on.
  • Start with the hard stuff: Start with the concepts you are having the most difficulty grasping, as these will likely take up more of your time. Use the Stoplight Technique to learn how to prioritize your material.
  • Check your learning objectives: Look at the learning objectives for your class and assigned readings to gain an idea of what to focus on.

Knowing How to Study

Save yourself time and effort by understanding how to study successfully and more efficiently.

  • Avoid distractions: Put away your phone or turn it off. Remove distractions and find an environment that works with you and not against your concentration.
  • Have a plan for yourself: Plan study time that works around your schedule to avoid cramming. Take this quiz to identify your learning styles and determine if you are a visual, auditory or kinesthetic learner.
  • Be realistic: Procrastinating is not the answer; setting unrealistic expectations and leaving things to the last minute can leave you in a tough spot when you are stuck with the reality of what you need to do versus how much time it will take to do it effectively.
  • Remember your goals: Set studying goals; decide what you want to cover day by day and try to relate your subjects of study to real-world situations.

Memorizing and Understanding Concepts

You will cover a lot of material over the course of a semester and it can be hard to remember everything during a test or exam. Follow these strategies for memorizing and understanding concepts:

  • Understand the concepts: Make sure you fully understand the concepts before attempting to memorize them.
  • Create color-coded flashcards: Visuals can help with memorization; making flashcards in different colors lets you break down subjects and themes.
  • Use mnemonic devices: Using memory devices such as visualization, acronyms, acrostics and rhymes.
  • Reciting and repetition: Reading information out loud and repeating material over and over again can help you to remember it.

Manage Your Stress

The Stress Management module covers topics such as:

  • Coping with Stress through the use of breathing techniques which will help you to persevere in those moments of anxiety and worry.
  • Changing your Perception of Stress by practicing Mindfulness (the act of living in the present) you can learn to focus on the here and now.
  • Problem Solving to Manage Stress Don’t get overwhelmed by a problem, find the best way to tackle it with practical strategies that can be applied to real world scenarios.

Use these bonus tips to help stay calm and composed when feeling stressed:

  • Breathe.
     Calming breaths from the belly can help calm the feeling of anxiety.
  • Think about the present moment.
     Avoid getting too caught up in thinking of the past or the future.
  • Think of solutions.
     Dealing with practical problems, such as assignment overload, can help with emotional problems such as anxiety.
  • Ask for help.
     Asking for help when you need it is important and useful when trying to solve problems.

LinkedIn Learning Playlist

This Study Skills playlist includes online courses and videos that can help you improve your study skills, including time management, stress management, effective studying, presentations, and more.

Essential Study Skills Guide

The Essentials Study Skills Guide offers a variety of supportive modules that cover topics to help you ace your assessments:

  • Time Management: Learn to manage your time more effectively.
  • Studying & Test-Taking: Learn how to study more effectively, and to be more successful when you take tests or exams.
  • Reading & Note-taking: Explains strategies for taking notes in class and for reading your textbook.
  • Stress Management: This unit can help you learn to cope with stress, be more mindful, and problem solve to manage your stress.
  • Sleep: Whether you’re hoping to get more sleep or better sleep, this module will help you to finally get some rest!
  • Resilience: This module will teach you strategies to improve your resilience, or ability to recover after setbacks.

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