10 Tips on Studying For A Test
Bryan Wong

Defined Tag: Successful Education.

One element that both online education and traditional
education share is test-taking.  You still have to pass
tests, whether it be in a classroom or on your computer,
in order for you to pass the course and be that much
closer to earning your degree.

Here are 10 tips on how to study for tests so you can
improve your performance on them:

1. Review the material right after class.

After you are finishing reading the material online,
turn away from your computer and write out some of the
ideas you've learned on a piece of paper - this way, you
will refocus your mind on what you have learned, plus you
will find out what parts of the material did not stay with
you that you will need to refocus on.

2. Space out your studying; don't wait until the night before
the test to do all your studying.

Just like in traditional studying, it is better whenever
possible to space out your studying - trying to cram for a
test the night before can lead to more anxiety and stress
than is necessary. 

Instead, review your class materials a few times a week,
focusing on one topic at a time.  If possible, try to print
out some of the materials so you can study away from your
computer.  If this isn't possible, it would be wise for you
to set some extra time aside to be at your computer without
"attending class"; even a half-hour every day or two would
greatly reduce the amount of studying you would have to do
the night before the exam.

3. Start out by studying the most important information.

Also like traditional studying, you want to focus on the
most important information first, especially what your
professor stressed in your class sessions, because that
information will likely be on the exam, and chances are,
make up a large portion of the exam.  Likewise, you should
spend a considerable amount of time studying that material.

4. Learn the general concepts first before focusing on the
details.

To understand the details about a topic, you have to
understand the main concepts of a topic first; otherwise, you
have little chance of understanding the details about that
topic.  Focus on the main ideas first before working on
the sub-ideas related to those main ideas.

5. Take notes and write down a summary of the important
ideas as you read through your study material.

Not only will this aid you in learning the material, but you
will also have a notesheet away from your computer that you
can use to study when you are away from your computer.

6. Take frequent short breaks.

It's been shown that your memory will remember more at the
beginning and at the end of your study sessions than it will
in the middle of those sections.  Therefore, it makes sense
to keep your study periods to a short time frame, say 20-30
minutes at most, take a 5-minute break, then come back and
study another 20-30 minutes.  This way, your mind will be
sharper and you'll be more focused on what you're studying.

7. Space out your studying so that your long-term memory
retains it.

Another reason to not wait until the night before the exam
to study is because the information will stay in your long-term
memory.  If you wait until the night before the exam, the
information will only be in your short-term memory, where it
is more likely to be forgotten.

8. Don't try to memorize everything; make sure you understand
the material well.

Understanding the material is key to doing well on college
exams because often these exams will ask you to demonstrate
your understanding of that material by applying it to a
situation.  Your study material may have presented a sample
case for you to help you prepare, but if you didn't understand
the process of how you came to the right answer, chances are,
you won't be able to demonstrate the ability to answer the
question on the exam, which will likely lead you to doing
poorly on the exam.

9. Listen to relaxing music to ease the boredom of studying.

Listening to relaxing music like classical or jazz can help
to relieve some of the boredom of studying.  Sitting for
extended periods of time, even with short breaks, can cause
the mind to dull a bit over time; playing relaxing music can
help to revitalize yourself to refocus on the material and
study it better.

10. Don't study later than the time you usually go to sleep.

It is suggested that you don't stay up past the time you
usually go to sleep, as you may be tempted to fall asleep,
being that your body is used to going to sleep at a certain
time.  That is why studying in the afternoon or early evening
would be better.  If you are a morning person, wake up at your
usual time or even a bit earlier and study then, rather than
staying up past your bedtime to study.

This is another reason why you shouldn't wait until the
night before the exam to do all of your studying, as you will
likely need a few hours to study in order to cover all the
material if you haven't been studying it throughout the
course.

Utilizing these ten tips should help you to perform better
on your exams, and eventually, earn that degree!