7 Tips for Staying Organised During Exam Season
Preparing for any type of examination is no easy task. It requires determination, focused attention, commitment, effort, and organisation. I’d like to emphasise organisation and planning in relation to test preparation because this appears to be a neglected aspect of students’ preparations. However, having the time to organise and plan ahead can have countless advantages for test preparation.
Maintain a Steady Schedule
A study schedule will lead to success more than anything else. It will take some time to set up and to get used to it, but this is valuable time spent because you will be more productive each time you settle down to study. Knowing when and where you are going to study will help you manage your time and prioritise your tasks, giving you a better chance of completing them.
For instance, if you have to finish a project due at the end of the week and you know that you need to study for two hours every day then it becomes easier to plan out your study sessions. You can divide the project into different tasks and allot a certain amount of time for each, with the remaining time spent on completing tasks or studying for tests.
Keep Your Notes Organised
There’s no denying that having notepads for personal and exam season notes is just as essential as the test preparation materials you use. You need both high-quality practice queries and an organised method for taking notes and tracking your progress.
This may seem apparent, which is likely why it is overlooked so frequently, but having an object that you naturally enjoy will encourage you to use it more. Spend a little more on notepads and notebooks with high-quality paper and cover you like. This will definitely be helpful for a little exam session motivation!
And don’t forget to always include the date at the beginning of every new page. This will make it simpler to navigate your notebook and seek a specific formula. This may seem apparent, but we have a tendency to overlook the most obvious things. You never know when you’ll need to refer back to a problem you solved or a strategy you discovered in your studies.
Include the categories of questions you overlook, the reason you failed a question, a shortcut you discover, a new vocabulary point to remember, and a novel approach to a math problem. This will help you to keep all the information in one place and make studying easier in the future.
Additionally, the act of writing in your notepad will help you solidify the ideas in your mind and keep them there. If you write it down, you’ll remember it more easily and get back to it more quickly. Plus, you won’t have to go through the same material twice, saving time for the more difficult concepts.
Use Online Calendars and Reminders
Find the date of your exam and proceed backwards from there. Even if you are using a prefabricated study plan, you should still settle down and map out the days and weeks leading up to the test. Mark the hours you will devote to studying, the days you anticipate being too busy, and the flex days you can use for extra studying if something unanticipated interrupts your study days.
Set Both Large and Small Objectives
The major objectives have been established: pass the test and gain admission to a prestigious institution. But you also need daily objectives and duties to study effectively.
Prepare a plan for the daily objectives and duties in advance. This will ensure that you cover all of the necessary material before the exam and give you confidence increases as you accomplish your daily objectives.
Study Often and Consistently
Students who random study know that this is equivalent to not studying. Make every effort to establish a regular time during the course of the day.
Additionally, attempt to establish regular study days. The more you can make studying and preparing a habit, the more routine it becomes, and the more efficient your study time will be. Your body and brain will be poised for learning. Additional tip: If possible schedule your exam at the same time as your studying.
Get Some Rest
Plan for pauses. Generally, five to ten minutes per hour of study is sufficient. Also, do not devote the entire day to a single task. Diversify your study so that you can cover a variety of topics in two or three hours. By altering things, you will actually learn and retain more information. This also applies to daily studies. Spend some time reviewing material from the previous week and gaining new knowledge.
Finally, eight-hour study sessions are not necessarily the most effective method to learn. Plan ahead and devote a few hours per day to studying over multiple days. This is far superior to confronting everything simultaneously.
Have Your Own Cheat Sheet
Not for cheating, but for memorizing: a cheat sheet is a quick reference guide of question types, common wrong-answer pitfalls, mathematical equations, frequently tested grammar points, and any other information you might need to consult before beginning to study. When reviewing your study notes, add the most important information to your cheat document.
Utilise your study cheat sheet and don’t be hesitant to refer to it. The purpose of the cheat sheet is the same as that of training wheels on a bicycle: to help you get begun. However, at a certain point, your practice wheels prevent you from truly using a bicycle. The same applies to the cheat document. At a certain point, you will realise that you no longer need the cheat sheet and can simply plunge into the practice questions and dominate them.
