Isabel Bustos / The Cougar
As final exams approach, many students are bound to feel intense academic burnout, making effective study strategies more important than ever.
Here is a list of study techniques designed to help students stay motivated and focused during finals season:
Make a Study Plan
For many students, multiple exams in a short span of time can be very overwhelming, but a great way to calm yourself down is by creating a study plan.
To create an effective study plan, you need to break down your topics by day. Try tackling the harder topics first and prioritize studying for the earliest exam dates.
Going into your studying experience while already having a predetermined study plan makes you feel less stressed about juggling all your different responsibilities.
Study Zones
Once you create your study plan, you might feel inclined to then start studying in your room; however, it is better to try utilizing the campus’ different study spots, like the M.D Anderson Library, the Student Centers or some of the cafes and restaurants available.
Studies show that students are usually more motivated when studying in a more professional environment, preferably one with background noise present.
Quizzes & Flashcards
Students usually study for their exams by doing quizzes or memorizing flashcards that already exist online, but a more effective method to master their understanding of courses is to create a set of quizzes and flashcards.
To create your quiz, hop onto different quiz-making websites and type in your questions and answers. After doing so, use this quiz to help you study for the exam.
If at all possible, you could also go back to your older quizzes to see what topics or questions you usually get wrong. Including those questions on your personalized quiz can help you master the topics you are weakest in.
In addition, you can also create your own set of flashcards either online or by physically writing the key terms on paper cards. This method helps you better remember the material on exam day.
Active Recall
As the name suggests, actively recalling the study material can strengthen a student’s understanding of their course’s content.
Studies show that active recall requires students to practice what they learn, instead of relying on more passive study methods, like only rereading their notes.
This can be done in many different ways: One way is writing everything you need to know for the exam on paper or a whiteboard without any notes present. Doing this lets you know what topics you are strongest in and what topics you need to continue working on.
The next approach to this method is one that many professors recommend, which is to build a presentation to present it to someone you know. The presentation should include all the key concepts and your own examples for each.
Studies show that by stating your material aloud to someone, you can better memorize it.
Ask for Help
During finals season, students are likely to feel more isolated than ever before, so it is important to ask your peers, professors, teaching assistants, or loved ones for guidance.
Whether you need to ask questions during lectures, plan study sessions with peers, seek help from campus tutors, or confide in loved ones for emotional support, it’s important to remember that being a university student is not a journey you should undertake alone.
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