Advice for creating better study habits?

[CuriousStudent]

I have an upcoming test on Monday. Our teacher is notorious for giving big tests (note, I am in high school and the tests he gives have nearly a hundred questions!). My last two tests, all Chemistry based, I scored a 60% on one and a 65% on the other. This will be my last Chemistry test for this year and I want to make sure my percentage goes up.

 

Any advice for creating better study habits? Whenever I actually get down to study I end up losing focus. Any and all help appreciated.

[Phi for All]

Group up. Study with others from the class so you can quiz each other, which can multiply the effectiveness of your studying.

[Ophiolite]

In no particular order.

 

1. Write down, in a short, single sentence the precise objective of your study on a Post It Note. Place that on your monitor, or in a prominent position in your work space. Whenever you feel like quitting your study read the objective and refocus.

 

2. Always read relevant study material for half an hour just before going to sleep. Research suggests that such timing is favourable to memorising.

 

3. Find the most interesting portion of your study subject and focus on that. You will find it easier to study the part you find the most interesting and in studying that deeply you will still acquire strong peripheral knowledge.

 

4. Write down fundamentals on cards. Topic in Big Letters and a concise statement of the topic. Pull them out at random, look at the topic and imagine the statement without looking at it.

 

5. If you are feeling blah take a rolled up newspaper and beat it to pieces against an item of furniture. The adrenalin rush will carry you through another twenty or thirty minutes of study.

[StringJunky]

If push comes to shove when it comes to time, focus on the principles more than the details because they just tend to follow naturally when you've got the principles down. If principles are the cake, details are the icing. Details are then much easier to remember because you know where to put them in your mind because you know their relevance in relation to the principles which you hang the details on. This is how my mind works if it's of any use to you.

Edited November 4, 2016 by StringJunky

[CuriousStudent]

Thanks for all the responses. I'll take them into practice!

[Sriman Dutta]

I'm also a student and I'm preparing myself for the upcoming exam.

Here' how I study.

First, read the chapter thoroughly and understand it. I emphasize on understanding the core concept rather than mugging it up.

Second, underline\highlight the important points. Learning by making points makes it easy to study.

Third, learn the whole chapter thoroughly. Memorize the points and the core concept.

Lastly, I practice. Practice is the key to get good marks. Lots of practice helps me to refresh my memory.

 

[CuriousStudent]

I'm also a student and I'm preparing myself for the upcoming exam.

Here' how I study.

First, read the chapter thoroughly and understand it. I emphasize on understanding the core concept rather than mugging it up.

Second, underline\highlight the important points. Learning by making points makes it easy to study.

Third, learn the whole chapter thoroughly. Memorize the points and the core concept.

Lastly, I practice. Practice is the key to get good marks. Lots of practice helps me to refresh my memory.

 

Yeah, I've been highlighting a bit of my key points in my notes. Helps it not get so cluttered up.

[hugedaven]

Give yourself practice tests. Cover up your notes and see if you can remember them. It is important

that you practice testing yourself as that strengthens memory better than simply reading notes over and over gain. I noticed that you said you were highlighting key points in your notes. You're studying the wrong way. You need to practice retrieving things from your memory as that's the same thing you do in a test.

Edited November 5, 2016 by hugedaven

[CuriousStudent]

Give yourself practice tests. Cover up your notes and see if you can remember them. It is important

that you practice testing yourself as that strengthens memory better than simply reading notes over and over gain. I noticed that you said you were highlighting key points in your notes. You're studying the wrong way. You need to practice retrieving things from your memory as that's the same thing you do in a test.

Interesting. I see your point though.

[Ophiolite]

Interesting. I see your point though.

As per my point 4 in post #3.

[NimrodTheGoat]

study with emotion, as i like to say and do,( by emotion, i mean to try to have fun/angry/laughing etc. i find that if i listen to lectures taht are funny i manage to remmeber them clearly

find the intrinsic motiviation thats in you to do better, if you dont have instrinsic motiviation then your gonna have a hard time

[BabcockHall]

Preview the material before the lectures. If you know where you are going, you can structure the material more effectively in your thinking. When you study, avoid distractions.