5 tips to prepare for an exam

by Viktoriia Akhankova

Exams in a week, but you haven’t started preparing yet? Your friends want to go out with you because a new movie is on at the cinema and your bed just doesn’t want to let you go during the weekends? If your answer is ‘Yes’, then rest assured, you are not alone.

Sometimes (if not usually) it is so difficult to get started, to make yourself do homework or prepare for an exam. However, the key is to focus on our incentives. If one really wants to get an A in the exam, the only person who can help you is YOU.

Okay, I am not here to teach you how to live, only to offer you some tips which, I hope, will help you prepare for the coming finals. Here they are:

1. Flashcards

I am pretty sure you’ve heard of them before, but if not: flashcards are cards with the primary function of helping you to memorise definitions. All you need is some paper and a pen. On one side, write the term, and on the other side, its meaning. Then, while studying, look at the term and try to recall what it means. There is also a Flashcards app called Quizlet (for both IOS and Android).

2. Get things organised

Once you have everything organised and scheduled, you suddenly realise you have so much more time, because you don’t have to waste time on things that are not of immediate priority. You can either use a diary or your phone, but do not become too preoccupied with finding different apps for this. After all, the aim is to save time and not waste it. Here are two apps to create timetables for IOS and Android.

3. Put your phone away

Yeah, I know. It will be difficult as friends will always be texting you and it’s difficult to ignore them as they send funny snaps and share hilarious pics, but turn the phone off. Nothing catastrophic will happen if you don’t use it for a small period of time.

4. Don’t forget to allow yourself breaks from studying

This doesn’t mean that you should immediately check your Facebook or watch a video on YouTube during the break. Instead, try going outside for a minute, resting your head on your bed, or even sleeping for 20 minutes. It is a scientifically proven fact that a short nap in the afternoon can help you to get over sleepiness.

5. Highlight you work

Highlight sentences, but — there is always a ‘but’ — I don’t mean colour your book in all different shades of highlighter; simply underline key ideas with a pencil. Colourful highlighters just distract you from the main ideas.

Finally, work smarter, not harder. And good luck to us!

This story is written by the ONCAMPUS student journalists.

What is your best study tip? Please share it with your fellow students!