As midterms come to a close, and Thanksgiving draws close, I think it may be important to share some study tips that have helped me throughout my time at State Fair Community College. I often use these for normal tests, quizzes, or even finals (which are quickly approaching). Before I delve into that, just remember we’re more than halfway through the semester! I urge everyone to keep their motivation up, even if it seems to be draining you more so as we move through the semester and face whatever obstacles may be thrown at us.
Normally, most professors offer a wide variety of resources throughout the semester, or even just the particular unit. I typically use powerpoints and my notes to make quizlets, a free site that allows you to make study cards, practice quizzes, and study games specific to the information you put in through your computer (you can access it here: https://quizlet.com/). I typically review that every couple days for about a week leading up to the test, quiz, or final. It can really help, especially when trying to memorize numbers, dates, and definitions.
It’s also recommended to take breaks between studying. If you take short breaks it acts as a ‘reset button’ and can help you retain information better! You can study one subject, take a break, and then study another, and then go back to the first subject. It definitely helps a lot, especially when you have multiple classes you need to study for. It can help to differentiate between just memorizing the information, and knowing it. You’re here to learn, so you might as well know it!
Lastly, I take time to read through chapters in the textbook, previous quizzes, and previous homeworks. It gives me the opportunity to see what I have excelled at in the past, and what I need to work on. Then, I can focus most of my attention on what I need to work on, and merely review what I did well on in the past.
These are ways that help me study; however, not everyone’s the same and you may need to take your own approach if these don’t seem to help you as much as they help me! Regardless, it’s definitely wise to put in the time to study for tests rather than just wingin’ it! Find a routine that works for you!
Written by Taylor Ireland.
About the Author
Hi, I’m Taylor! I’m a sophomore at State Fair Community College. I’m heavily involved around campus as a residential assistant for the Student Life apartments, TRiO President for the Fall 2020 Semester, an active participant in our school’s theatre, and a work study for Student Success! I’m around campus a lot; unfortunately, I don’t often have time to chat with everyone, so hopefully blogs about my experiences at SFCC will help to aid you into either getting back into the groove of things, or help you start a groove if you’re new!
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