How do i get better at studying? i have tried everything. make que cards, rewrite notes, read notes to myself?

Question

what do i do? anyone got any good tips? i just studied for about 16 hours last week for a midterm and got only a C plus on it. the day before i knew everything that was going to be on that test. everything but yet I still got a awful mark.

Answer 1

Active learning is key. Reading and looking at charts will only do so much to help you remember. Self-quizzing is a good way to reinforce what you've learned and find out what you haven't learned well enough and need to study more. Examples of self-quizzing might be flash cards or CD-ROM or online quizzes that will check your answers, doing exercises without help and checking the answers afterward, having a classmate or someone else quiz you, etc. Then spend a bit more time going over things you got wrong. Do these kinds of things once a week or more, not just before big tests.

Likewise, explaining something you've learned to someone else is a good strategy--it has to be clear to you before you can make it clear to someone else. Inventing memory tools such as acronyms, rhymes, pictures, associations and so on, as others mentioned, can also be helpful.

For essay questions, it doesn't hurt to think up some potential questions and outline your ideas for each one (not to write entire essays, that'd be a bit excessive). Often those are pretty predictable if you've paid attention and read well.

Answer 2

How about studying in small chunks the whole time? Don't study the week or so before a big test. Rather, do what you do flashcards and everything but as soon as you learn the material. So if you learned concept A make flashcards and study maybe for 30 minutes everyday. When you learn concept B, make flashcards and study both A and B for 30 minutes. When you get to the point that you have learned concept A through concept Z, rotate them. Study A, X, and Z for 30 minutes one day. Study B, C, and Y the next day.

Studying the week before a big test, believe it or not, is still cramming.

If all else fails, maybe you aren't just a test taking student.

Answer 3

incognita's given you some great pointers.

Some tips from me:

First, nothing beats listening in class. I spent every Chemistry period last year waking up my friend when she fell asleep, but I still listened to our teacher, and I got an A+ in the end. Lord, thy wonders never cease.

Secondly, be consistent in your studies. Don't leave everything til the last minute. Set yourself targets, and work to meet them.

And then, when you study, concentrate. Focus completely on what you're studying, not on what's for lunch.

And really understand what you're studying- that's a must! After you've read your notes, think about what you've read. If any doubts crop up, ask a friend or a teacher to clear them for you- you don't have to feel like an idiot or a nuisance, asking for help.

Try and relate what you're studying to things you can remember. If you're studying History, think of it as a movie, or relate the people involved to people you know. Make up acronyms (like VIBGYOR to remember the colours of the rainbow) or sentences, or pictures in your head to help you remember stuff that's hard to remember.

Get a good idea of the areas you're weak in, and work on them. Get someone to quiz you, now and then, and give yourself a pat on the back when you think you're getting somewhere.

And, before an exam, don't get tense. If you've studied as well as you can, you'll do fine.

Don't let the C+ get you down! (C+ isn't all that bad, by the way.) Work hard, really understand what you're learning, enjoy it, and enjoy life! Good luck!

Answer 4

OK i had the same problem. Note cards do not work for me typing does not work for me. I study forever like you and believe it or not you can study to much. You will know the info like the back of your hand then forget it. You can study so much that you start to forget or get mixed up. Usually the brain will remember the beginning and end but will forget the complete middle. If you have time the best thing to do is break it up into 3 sections of equal amounts. Study one part one day and so on and so forth. When studying and needing to memorize things use rhymes this helps me. If you have to remember a list take the first letter of each work and make a rhyme. Ex: Pardon my dear aunt sally--Parenthesis, multiplication, division, addition and subtration. I hope this helps.

Answer 5

Start studying for your final exams starting on day 1 of school.. Type out your notes on your computer. Read them out loud while you are typing them. This employs Aural, Visual, and tactile learning. People learn using 2 of the three ways - this will ensure you have all 3 covered. Every weekend spend 1 hour going over the notes for that week - test or no test. Make up test questions while reviewing and get those questions out before a test. Do your test and see where you did well and not so well. Study both!! This helped my get 100% for every single course of my Master's degree. Trust me - it works!!!

Answer 6

One of the things that seemed to help me was computerizing my notes. When I got home from school, I'd sit down and type my notes from microbiology into MS Word. I would then go back and proof read after finishing while comparing it to the hand written copy. A couple other things that helped was that the professor spoke slow enough I could copy his lecture almost word for word and that it was a subject I was interested in. Don't feel too bad, I had a friend that used her notes along with mine and another person and she usually averaged a mid to high C on the tests.

Answer 7

First off... never, ever underestimate your capabilities. Getting a "C+" is not a bad thing nor is it the end of the world, lol!
I think that you need to come up with better time management but without forgetting that you need time to "unwind" as well.
You know what they say all work & no play makes a very dull person indeed.
Try adapting all your study notes into one of your favorite songs, maybe? Once you have a melody/ rhythm going, try reciting it to yourself several times. It should do the trick.

Answer 8

when i had trouble studying, my teacher told me to try understanding the notes not just memorizing them...that helped me alot. just by understanding what was going on and figuring out the "big picture" and how one thing related to another hope that helps oh, and dont study TOO much study for a bit then relax a little and then go back to it and see if u still remember what u studied before that way u can figure out if u really understood the material hope this helps a little...

Answer 9

well, a lot of people have way different ways of studying. But if the ones you did dont work then study with a group or turn the stuff you need to study into a game.

Answer 10

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