The irony of college life is that most students prefer hanging out with their friends, attending parties, and sleeping or watching movies instead of dedicating time to their studies. On the same note, most learners do not like engaging in activities that will make them tired. It is essential to note that a vast number of students do not enjoy the entire writing process because they have the wrong perception that it is time-consuming and tiring. It is every student`s dream and desire to score excellent academic grades and live a good life. Unfortunately, the majority of these students are often reluctant to get out of their comfort zones. In this article, we shall discuss how students can study effectively for their examinations.
Join study groups
It is not surprising to find students secluded in the library studying or locked up inside their rooms, revising for the upcoming examinations. On the same note, it is not clear why some students always prefer studying alone compared to doing it in groups. Some students acknowledge that studying in groups is an excellent way to remain engaged throughout your studying sessions. Therefore, if you ever find yourself losing concentration while studying alone, you can always consider forming a study group consisting of two or more students. While in a group discussion, you can go through different concepts and assist each other in understanding the areas that might appear challenging. You might be surprised that you will understand some concepts more easily when taught by your colleagues compared to your lecturer. For instance, through one of my colleagues in a group discussion, I learned about this link, which equipped me with knowledge on how to structure my dissertation papers.
Teach your friends what you already know
At times, you will always believe that you have a good mastery of a particular concept until you start teaching it to a clueless person. That is when you will realize that you did not understand what was taught. Evidence shows that through teaching others, you will be gaining clarity regarding the topic. It is essential to note that this is also where group studying plays a vital role since it aids you in strengthening the understanding of various concepts. By explaining what you already know to someone else, you will be accentuating your skills and knowledge and increasing the chances of a concept sticking in your mind for a longer duration.
Take some time away from social media
As a student, it is not a bad idea to take a break away from social media. You could do it for a day, a week, or some months. The good thing about making this significant move is that you will have fewer distractions, and hence, you will be able to direct 100% of your concentration to your studies. Apparently, you do not have to delete your social media accounts because platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp might come in handy. You could also use applications such as WhatsApp to share notes with your friends. The bottom line is that you should limit the amount of time that you spend on social media. You might consider replacing the amount of time you use on social media platforms with other productive activities such as yoga or any other exercise that will calm your mind.
Be consistent when revising
Until the last day of your examination, you should ensure that you study consistently. Spare some time daily to go through all the concepts you have learned. Spare some 10 minutes daily to skim through the notes you have written. The two reasons you should be consistent when studying is that it will assist you in remembering topics, figures, facts, and methodologies that you might have studied. Secondly, if you do your revision correctly, you will reduce anxiety and increase your confidence; hence you will be better prepared for the examination. If you spare a few hours daily for your revision, you will not have difficulty doing the final touches for your tests.
Understand the basics
You should always spare some time and learn new things about the basics of writing. In most assessments, you will be required to write essays and research papers, which the lecturer will use to assess the flow of your ideas. Ensure that you know some of the common mistakes students often make, such as wrong sentence punctuation, wrong grammar, and poor sentence construction. In essence, if you want to be an A student, you must spare an adequate amount of time to understand the basics of academic writing.
Minimize the use of your phone
The advancement of technology has made student’s work less complicated and time-consuming. The good this is that currently, students can access information on anything regardless of their geographical location. On the same note, technology aids learners in holding virtual meetings, which saves an individual`s time and energy. However, technology, when misused, might be a significant source of distraction. Therefore, it is advisable that you avoid using your phone when studying for your examinations or completing your assignments. You will have difficulty concentrating on your studies if you always use your phones or you constantly check your social media platforms for updates. If you want to maximize your studying sessions, you must use technology the right way.
Set your studying goals
Studying for your exams is really difficult especially when you do not have good study goals. During your academic life, you are expected to read and understand many different concepts and at the same time study different subjects. Unless you have good study goals that allow you to study your entire coursework, you are likely to get overwhelmed during your exam period. In order to do well, it is important that you get and set revision goals that will help you cover the depth of your studies. Good goals allow you to read all the subjects that you are likely to be examined on and also allow you to read the most important details prior to your exams.
In conclusion, studying for your examinations will not be so difficult if you start doing it early. The problem with most students is that they wait until the last minute for them to start doing their revisions. There is a reason why lecturers take a certain duration to complete a particular course. Unfortunately, most students think that they can study what was taught in a whole semester and excel with impressive grades. If you have the determination to be successful and be willing and ready to make all the needed sacrifices, there is no reason why you should not be an A student. It is indeed true that success was not meant for specific students. However, to be successful, you must be willing to get out of your comfort zone. Although anyone can be successful, you must be willing to do all that is required to succeed in various aspects of life.
