College graduates earn 50% more than those without a degree. Here are 10 study tips to crush your exams so you can do well on your exams. (This month’s sponsor is Coinbase. If you’re interested in trading crypto and you would like to help out the site:
Make or Find a great study space
Plan out the optimal place to study
- Remove all distractions, unplug the TV and put your phone in a drawer
- Lay out all necessary study materials in advance
- Pack a bag with not only your study materials and headphones but plenty of healthy food and drinks
Don’t go it alone
Joining a group can help you learn, see problems from someone else’s point of view, and share the tasks of making a study guide.
- However, there are downsides, such as the temptation to socialize.
Practice, practice, practice
Take practice tests to prepare mentally and emotionally for the real thing.
Get a good night sleep
Don’t look at your phone or computer too close to bed time
- Stick to a regular night time routine (i.e., shower, brush teeth, reading, bedtime)
- Do not eat or drink late at night
- Minimize artificial light, even alarm clock lights
Listen to the right music
Listen to music with white noise, ambient noise, or classical music.
- 432hz music lowers the heart rate and blood pressure, and puts you in a focused and relaxed mindset, perfect for studying or getting in the zone.
- White noise has been shown to increase memory, the speed of math calculations, and speed of perception.
Learn by simplifying
Feynman Technique
- Pretend you’re teaching it someone much younger than you
- Keep it simple and put it into “story” form
- Whatever you don’t understand in step 2, stop and find the answers and repeat step 2
Achieve and Stay in a Flow State
The most powerful way to learn is to achieve a flow state
- A flow state is the perfect balance between work and play, where time loses meaning
- For a given study session, you should: Know what to do and how to do it
- Know how well you’re doing
- Match the level of challenges with the skill level of your skills
Keep a schedule, not a todo list
Schedule your study periods and commit to a daily or weekly schedule.
Use spatial and/or funny ways to remember
The loci method takes advantage of your brain’s natural ability to remember locations
- Imagine the material as if you’re walking through a house with many rooms and meeting people along the way
- Use these rooms and people as markers to remember items or topics
Take regular study breaks
Use the Pomodoro Technique to integrate regular breaks into your study/productive sessions. During these breaks, get up, walk around, and drink a glass of water.
- Plan the next 25 minutes and focus on the one or two tasks that you need to get done in the next round.
