Do you have a hard test coming up? Are you looking to raise your grades? Well, studying for tests is not always easy, but don’t worry because I am here to help you! Here are five simple but effective ways to help boost your studying tactics and absorb the information in a better way so you can pass that complex exam. 

Tip #1: Note-taking

I know, I know. Everyone always says that taking notes is very important…blah, blah, blah…, but hear me out! In order to learn lessons, 95% of the time a teacher is going to have you take notes. With different lessons comes multiple pages of information being written down which is extremely complicated to study. That is why an efficient method you could do is read these notes over, make sure you know your strong and weak points for the upcoming test, and break your notes down into a page. Once you have these notes of your weakest points on a single page of paper, you can then highlight and study as many times as you need. You can also even form your own questions in order to understand the material better and get your brain moving faster. 

Tip #2: Space out your studying

Believe it or not, sitting down for two hours and re-reading all of your notes over and over again will not help you when it comes time for the test. Instead, it is best to space your study time out. To do this effectively, you can set a timer for around 20 minutes. Take that 20 minutes to look over your notes (or make your simplified notes which I talked about in the tip above!) or even form and answer questions about the topic. Once the time is up, set a new timer for 5-10 minutes. This can be your break time to do whatever you would like. You can find ways to keep motivating yourself during your studying time, grab a drink of water, or even just go on your phone and relax for the time being. Overall, your mind needs a break and so make sure to give it what it needs! You can repeat this process as many times as you feel is necessary throughout the day. It is your personal preference!

Tip #3: Find a quiet and comfortable location. 

This tip is definitely a very important one! In order to study for your exams, you need to give your studies all of your attention. Being in a loud and uncomfortable environment when studying will not only distract you from absorbing the information to the best of your abilities, but it will also make you feel less motivated due to the more appealing distractions around you. If your brother is in the living room playing video games and you are studying for your test in the living room as well, do you think you are going to be able to focus on your studying? No, you are going to want to either play the video game or just watch because it is a lot more interesting than learning about what x is equal to or conjugating verbs, and that is a completely normal reaction! That is why the better option would be to study somewhere quiet like your room, possibly. This guarantees that you will be able to study effectively and efficiently without being bothered by distractions. 

Now let me give you a pop quiz…which room should you choose to study in? 

Option 1: The dining room where your other sibling is sitting across from you on their phone watching Youtube.

Option 2: In your bedroom, at your desk alone. 

The correct option is…OPTION 2!

Tip #4: Manage your time effectively. 

In order to study effectively, you need to clear your mind of all other distractions and stressors. If you have a lot of work to complete and continuously worry about that while trying to study, the material will not stick with you. Then when it comes time to take the test…well it won’t turn out so well. However, if you purchase a planner or even simply write out periods of time in which you will complete all your work you will feel more confident in getting everything completed. Therefore, when you go to study during your designated time, the stress of other work will not overwhelm you considering you know you will get it all done with your handy dandy planning!

Tip #5: Ask for help!

If you are looking over your notes or study guide and something still doesn’t make sense to you…ASK! Asking for help is not something to be ashamed of and your teacher will not judge you. After all, we are all in school in order to learn new topics. Learning unfamiliar topics is not always a piece of cake, sometimes more than others. This is why your teachers are here to help guide you in the right direction. They do not want you to fail, they just want you to succeed and work to the best of your abilities. So if you are having trouble do not be embarrassed or look down on yourself. We are all human!

Well…that’s all! If you follow these tips not only would studying become a lot more efficient and understandable, but when it comes time for your test you will feel more confident due to your newly gained studying tactics. So, get to your quiet location and start preparing to ace your upcoming test. Good luck, we are all rooting for you!