Every academic student knows that studying is stressful and rarely at the top of their priority list. But, a lack of a clear plan usually leads to failure in exams. You’re in luck because this post can teach you ways to build effective study habits that will help you succeed even in the most demanding courses.
This guide can help you pick the study methods that work best for you, regardless of whether you’re in your final year of an undergraduate program or enrolled in a homeschool program. The best way to thrive in college is to learn how to study effectively, which is a great way to manage your time and have fun. So, let’s dive In this video, we explore the origins of the Matokeo Darasa la Saba and what it means to be a true practitioner
What Is a Study Guide?
Study guides are tools students use to prepare for exams and tests. A study guide contains lots of meaningful content presented in a condensed manner, making it easy to study several chapters or units simultaneously. For instance, you can find excellent study guides from the University of Pennsylvania. Besides, it provides superior materials to create your study guide.
You can cover any subject in a study guide, including English literature or trigonometry. Some teachers will provide you with a study guide before a test, but many won’t. Often, the examiner provides the topic test, and then it’s up to you to figure out the rest. Civics Past Papers and Answers – A collection of Civics past papers and answers from previous years.
How To Create a Successful Study Guide
Here’s how you can create a successful study guide for your college studies:
Organize Your Notes
If you are creating a study guide, organize the information in a way that makes sense. A summary sheet is the most common type of study guide. Creating a summary sheet involves organizing your notes conceptually.
Here’s how you’ll do it:
- Make two columns in your paper, with the right column having considerable space.
- Make a list of the most important points or terms from each chapter or lesson that will come up on the test on the right side of your paper. Include a summary or description under each item. To help you remember the material, you can also use examples from the text.
- Write cue questions on the left side of the paper, which correspond to the information on the right. You can then cover up the right side of the document and determine if you can answer the questions on the left.
Identify Your Study Style
Everyone learns differently and uniquely processes information. Nevertheless, some broad tips work well for the vast majority of people. You can use it to find your strengths and weaknesses to make the study plan that works best for you.
The first thing you need to do is figure out your study style. You can create a study plan that fits your study style. For example:
- Early Birds — Early birds are most productive in the morning, but their productivity decreases throughout the day. It might be helpful to schedule early morning study sessions at home, a café, or a library if this describes you. Take advantage of your evenings to relax after a long day of work.
- Procrastinators — Procrastinators have difficulty completing tasks and are easily distracted. The best way to beat procrastination is to hold yourself accountable, use time management apps, and reward yourself when you finish a task. It can also be helpful to remove distractions like social media so that work gets done on time.
- Perfectionists — A perfectionist works harder than necessary to make a single task perfect before moving on to the next. Perfectionism is admirable but not attainable. Limit the time you can spend on a job before moving on. The next time you return to a piece of work, you can improve it because you have a clear mind.
Go Through Your Reading Materials
The textbook and related reading assignments are essential sources of information for the class you are studying. Probably, your textbook will already have bolded or highlighted the most important facts, ideas, and skills you should learn, making it an excellent resource for learning.
Make a study guide by re-reading materials to identify the main ideas. You don’t need to read every word while reviewing the pages. It would help if you scanned your study guide for the key concepts instead, so you don’t forget them. Taking this step alone is an excellent way to prepare for a test.
Your study guide should contain chapter reviews or study questions. Ensure that you include possible questions or comprehension checks from a textbook in your study guide by copying them into your notes. Knowing the extra information in the text is a great way to prepare for questions, even if the teacher doesn’t use it to base tests on.
Prioritize the Information
Everything might seem important to you. There is a possibility that you will highlight everything you read in your textbook or your class notes. There are several details to remember, many of which will not appear on the test! Spending hours studying something you won’t use makes no sense, even more so if you could spend those hours looking for the actual exam!
It is crucial to prioritize the information provided. See what you’ve highlighted or marked as important in your material if you’re having trouble identifying what’s essential. The more often your professor repeats a concept or the longer it takes to explain, the more important it is! Even some teachers like to make a not-so-subtle comment about that being an excellent exam question. Whenever that occurs in class, highlight it or give it a star! Once you begin studying, you will want to keep that in mind.
Make a Study Schedule
Get your study guides ready as early as possible, and schedule enough time for them before the test. During the few days leading up to the test, divide your time into sections of each subject you’ll need to learn, so you have enough time to cover each topic thoroughly. Take your time, and don’t rush.
You can set deadlines for specific topics if you have stress or anxiety. Devote an entire week to the first two chapters before you move on to chapters three and four the following week. You can worry about issues in chapters three and four until later.
Focus on only one study at a time, and organize your studies into compartments. Study only one subject at a time until you have completed it. Then switch to other topics.
Conclusion
When done correctly and thoroughly, study guides are an excellent study tool! You can use it during lunch breaks, bus rides, or between classes so you can study whenever you want. To succeed at studying, you must do what is comfortable and works for you. Find a method that works for you, and stick to it!