It’s that dreaded time of year again when many high school students are in the midst of peeping for their exams.  I thought that it would be a great idea to write a blog post with tips on how to get through this busy and stressful time. I have come up with ideas that will allow you to better manage your time, make it easier to focus and to get better marks overall. If you apply these these tips I assure you that you will have a better outcome. I hope that you enjoy these tips and let me know if any of them have helped you out

STUDY TIPS

1.Make a study schedule

The first thing that you are going to want to do before anything else is to make a study schedule. Refer to the exam review that your teacher has given you and plan out on which days you have to do what. Work backwards from the exam day and plan your time accordingly.  This will ensure that you are doing enough each day so you cover all the study material before your exam. As well this will help you start early enough, especially if you are someone that is not good under pressure or leaves things to the last minute. Studing in advance and in small portions is proven to make you remember things better and reduce your stress.

2. Talk out loud

A tip that really helps me out  when I’m studying is to say my notes out loud.  I know it may sound a little weird but trust me it works.  It helps you stay focused if your challenge is that you get distracted easily and it definitely helps with retaining the information.  For me when I am saying things out loud it keeps me more present and focused and it allows me to study for a longer period of time. It also helps me memorize the material better because it reinforces what I’m reading on paper, and the more I repeat it out loud the better I remember the material. I just keep saying it over and over until I remember it. This tip will really benefit those that are auditory learners since you are hearing the study material as you say it out loud as well as making the visual connection to the words on paper.

3. Visualize

For subjects such as science and math visualization will be your best friend. This tip will help you if you cannot remember the exact words on how to explain a process or the exact letters in a formula. You are going to want to draw a diagram or write the formula out and hang it up on your wall in a place that you pass by everyday. This will let it stick in your head.

4. Chew Gum

Another great and easy study tip is to chew gum while you are studying. If you are allowed once you are in the exam chew the same flavour of gum. It has been proven that having the same favour in your mouth will help you to remember the material you were studying at the time.

STRESS MANAGEMENT TIPS

1.  Take breaks

A lot of the time the main issue when studying for exams is that we get overwhelmed and as a result we loose focus. A good way to avoid this is to take quick but effective breaks. Our brains can only focus for 45 minutes at a time. Therefore if you commit yourself to studying for that full time block you can reward yourself with a 5-10 minute break to relax your mind until you start again. During this time you can listen to music, watch a short youtube video or have a quick snack to fuel your mind. The important thing to remember here is that it is just a break and once the video, song or snack is done you get right back into it. At the end of the day it will be worth it knowing that you were productive and accomplished the study goal you needed to get done.

2. Study snack

Our brains need food in order to function properly. I suggest having a study snack close by keep your energy levels up. By snack I do not mean greasy foods like chips and cookies, I mean things like toast with peanut butter, fruit, veggies. Anything that will not make you fell sluggish and want to take a nap. As teenagers when we get hungry we tend to get irritable and overwhelmed easily. We get “Hangry”.  If we have these feelings it will make remembering things and solving problems more difficult. By having a snack it will fuel you up and reduce your stress level.

3. Colour code

Staying organized is key when it comes to stress management. When things are unorganized it stresses people out because they do not know where to start. I suggest colour coding your notes by sections and level of importance. For example, have every unit for math highlighted in a different hue or use coloured sticky notes for each subject or section of study material. This will ensure that everything is together and in order. It will also help you make a mental connection with the notes to help you remember them better. Another good tip is to start with the subject that you do not like the most.  This will keep you for being more stressed in the end when you still have to study it and are burnt out from all of the reviewing you have done previously.

I hope these tips will help you get organized, stay focused and help ease exam stress.  Let me know if you have other tips that have helped you study better and get prepared for exams.

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