Study Tips

Do you wait until the last moment to prepare for a test? Is your go to study method cramming the night before? Not only has procrastination been shown to be ineffective it also causes increased stress that you do not need during school. Instead, follow my quick and easy steps that I use in order to feel prepared so that I can do the best I can on every test!

1. USE COLORS: I swear by highlighters and colored pens...oh my god school supplies are my favorite thing to shop for! And, they are so helpful! I dedicate a color to each class and use that highlighter for all readings, to highlight important lecture notes and titles of documents. For this quarter, orange is for Poli Sci, purple for Sociology and pink for Stats. 

2. VOCAB: When a term is defined in lecture, a reading or a textbook, make sure to not only write it down but underline it! Better yet, underline it in a color that you’ve dedicated for just vocabulary! I underline every vocab word with purple regardless of the class. Then at the end of each week I write down all vocabulary words onto a sheet of paper and keep it in a folder to add to. 

3. SUMMARY: At the end of a reading, chapter of a textbook or lecture, summarize the key points. Keep these on a separate sheet such as the vocab sheet in order to review important information so you don’t have to go back and read all of your notes or the entire reading again. 

4. REVIEW: Don’t wait until the last moment to review your notes! If you have these vocabulary and review sheets handy, and get into a routine of overlooking them or writing them at the end of each week then you will be that much more familiar with the material when test time comes around. 

5. DO WHAT WORKS FOR YOU: Some people get the best results if they wake up early in the morning and review again before the test. Others ace tests if they let the night before be the final time they review the material. You can’t always listen to the statistics and what people recommend every time, you have to test out different methods until you find a system that works well for you.