Test your test skills!

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Finals week is coming up whether you like it or not. Some students are already feeling the pressure of the most hated time of year and are scrambling for ways to prepare for the exams.
Contrary to popular belief, putting your class notes under your pillow before bed won’t make you retain the information. Eating your notes won’t help either. So before you start thinking about printing out microscopic cheat sheet notes for your next text, consider some alternatives to you ace that next exam. Some are well-known and others might be a little far off. But use what works for you and see which ones you can try out next time.

Before the storm – Study tips

1. This tip will probably be the most effective and most obvious, but it’s also the least followed. Study before the exam! Many professors will give students a good week or two of study time before the test, so take that time to get in a good routine of studying.
2. According to Gary C. Ramseyer of Illinois State University, studying one or two hours at the same time each day can pay dividends when it comes to information retention. Remember, it’s all about storing the information in your long-term memory and not your short-term memory. Doing this in a two-day, intensive five hour cramming sessions just won’t cut it. Break up the study times and spread it out across a week or two.
3. Try to study in a group at least once or twice before an exam. Why? Teaching information to others can help you retain the information a lot better and faster. Studies showed that teaching a subject to another peer helped the teaching student remember the information at lot quicker than just memorizing it on their own.
4. Eat before the test. First off, it will help you from those annoying and often embarrassing stomach noises that can be heard across the room in a quiet test taking situation, but also it will help give you energy and focus. What type of food is also important. Avoiding heavy food high in fat is a must because it can make you groggy. Fish is seen as a brain food in most Asian countries, so give that a try.
5. Study in a location that mimics the exact classroom where your test will take place. Try to emulate the test-taking scenario of your classroom by studying in a quiet setting. Doing so might spur your long-term memory to remember information because you are in a familiar location as when you studied the material.

Moment of truth – Test time

1. Some people staunchly believe that studying right before your test is like cramming, and therefore it won’t serve any good. Others however, feel that going over your notes is a good way to refresh your memory. Whatever your preference is, looking over the main ideas of your subject prior to your exam just might help you remember something that you might’ve forgotten during the study process.

Uh oh – Cram time

1. So you decided to be like most college students and skip all the tips given above. You have exactly 12 hours before the exam and you’re in a bind – you don’t know anything. Cramming is your only option here, and first things first. You need energy to stay awake. While coffee and caffeine shots seem like a plausible solution, try green tea instead. The natural caffeine in tea will help you stay awake, without the sugar rush of coffee or drinks like RedBull.
2. Your limited time means limited information. Try to go over the main ideas of the subject matter and ignore the details.
3. Take at least a five minute break every hour so you can refresh your memory and let your brain relax.
4. Take it easy! Stress can be a decisive factor in your ability to cram, and it may stop the information from being stored in your long-term memory.
5. If you can, try to get at least three hours of sleep (one sleep cycle).