Tips For A More Productive Study Session

Tips For A More Productive Study Session

Whether it’s for a quiz, test or final exam, studying for math and science courses can be challenging, and making sure you are making the best use of your study time is important. Students often ask how they can make their study sessions as productive as possible, so here are a few tricks that will help to keep you engaged, and make the best use of your study time:

Start With The Harder Stuff

When you are studying for a quiz or exam, take some time before you start studying to figure out which portions of the test you feel the most comfortable with, and which portions of the test you feel the least comfortable with, then start with the least comfortable sections. This allows you to spend more time on the things that you are less comfortable with. It also ensures that, if you run out of time before you finish studying (for any reason), that the sections that you are most comfortable with end up being the ones that you don’t have time to review.

Move Between Theory and Questions

Studying theory can be very dry, and requires a lot of reading and memorizing, while working through questions requires more focus and engagement, but can be very tiring. Three straight hours of studying theory can result in boredom, while three straight hours of solving questions can result in exhaustion, so try going back and forth between the two. Alternate between one hour of reviewing theory and one hour of practicing solving questions. This will help to keep you engaged, and limit both boredom and exhaustion while you study for your test.

Take Breaks

When studying for an exam (particularly a final exam), students often feel guilty if they do not spend every possible moment studying. This, however, can be counterproductive, as the brain can only absorb so much content and knowledge at a time. As well, study sessions that are too long can lead to fatigue, which limits the effectiveness of that time. The best way to get the most out of your study time is to make sure that you take breaks. Create a schedule for yourself with breaks built in, and make sure you rest and do things you enjoy during those breaks. This will result in you having more energy, and will allow you to be more effective during your study time.

Studying for quizzes, tests and exams can be stressful, and students want to ensure that they are being as effective as they can be with their studying. By starting with the hard stuff, alternating between theory and problem solving, and taking lots of breaks, you can ensure that you are making the best use of your study time, and give yourself the best possible opportunity to succeed on your exams.

2017-05-25T17:03:10-07:00