Preparing for a college exam is a tough job. At home you do not have the same studious environment as in an educational institute ad there are a lot of distractions. To face the challenge this post will equip you with strategies to prepare for your college exam at home. So keep on reading!
Tactics for Preparing For The College Exam At Home
Make Time To Study:
Never leave your exam preparation until the last minute. While many students like to bloom on last-minute cramming and pulling all-nighters. It is well known that this method of preparing is one of the worst methods for preparing out there. If you do not want to end up like those students then you need to manage your time. There should be a fixed time for your studies (Helpwithdissertation, 2021).
You need to come up with a schedule to study for the college exam and have to abide by it. If you have a complex and lengthy task at hand it is better to break it down into small learning tasks. This will make your preparation task much easier to achieve and you will not feel a lot of study pressure.
All you have to do is write what chapter you want to cover at which time of the day and how many chapters will you cover by the end of the day. Also mention the day when you have to give the exam. Once you are done with this you can decide how much time each chapter is going to take for preparation.
Organize The Study Space:
The organization is incredibly important so that you can get all the revision material on time and that they are not buried under the clutter. It is also important to keep your mind at ease as the messier the room the more distracted you will get. Therefore, place your textbooks neatly and avoid piling them.
Make sure that your study lamp is giving you enough light. A better option is to study near a large window letting the natural sunlight light up the study space. Choose a comfortable study spot but it should not be too comfortable. For example, you should not study on your bed because that place is associated with sleeping and you are bound to get lazy and drowsy while studying.
Teach others:
Another easy to make sure that your preparation for the exam is going well is by teaching it to others. A lot of teachers think that they are really good at a certain topic but when it comes to explaining to their students they can not execute the task. So given that you are a student and probably not as capable as the teacher this is why this strategy is important for you. You can call a friend and see if they are struggling with any topic that you have prepared for and try to explain it to them or you can just explain it to yourself.
Taking Breaks:
Some of you may think that it is contradictory at first but read carefully. If you do not want to lose your concentration and boost your productivity when preparing for the exam, taking breaks is essential. Taking breaks is known to improve your memory which means the chances of you forgetting learning materials for your exams are reduced. On top of that, you will get much better at maintaining focus throughout the preparation period.
All you have to do is put down which chapter you want to read at what time of day and how many chapters you want to read at the end of the day. You should also include the date of the exam. Once you’ve completed this, you can estimate how much time each chapter will take to prepare.
It is not unusual to experience low energy levels when you are pouring all the attention into one task for long hours. Taking a break and relaxing will sustain your high energy levels. You should attempt taking power naps for 10-20 minutes to feel refreshed and become more productive and efficient in preparing for your college exam.
Taking Academic Help:
To be more thorough with your learning materials you can look up essays online or even multiple essays that can explain the subject matter even better. This way you will get the exam syllabus better and do well when tested in it.
One thing that may distract you during this is essay homework from other assignments. You are likely to get a lot of essay assignments even during your college exam. So if you are unable of completing them on your own, get the help of a friend or from any website that write essays. This way you will have more time for studying for the exam and your essays submission will not be compromised either.
Testing Yourself:
Next up you need to test yourself regarding the matter you have learned so far. Although you may have gotten small tests regarding the topics during your classes that is not enough. To be sure that you are through with the subject matter prepare your own mock exam. This way you will be capable of telling which subject needs to be studied again this time much more carefully.
Moreover, who knows maybe the questions you have prepared also show up in the exam. If you will already know their answers well.
Form A Healthy Routine:
More than often during exam time students compromise on their health because they are too busy preparing for the exam. This allows them to live an unhealthy life will and puts a negative impact on their academic performance as well. This may lead you to become tired and absent-minded. You will also lose concentration in your studies. To avoid this, here are some healthy life components you need to incorporate:
- Sleeping for 8 hours at night.
- Exercising to improve your mental health (Pascoe et al. 2020).
- Consuming nutritious food.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to prepare for your college exam at home, go ahead and start studying.
References
- HWD, 2021. Time Management Tips. HWD. Available at: https://www.helpwithdissertation.co.uk/blog/time-management-tips/ [Accessed February 7, 2022].
- Pascoe M; Bailey AP; Craike M; Carter T; Patten R; Stepto N; Parker A, 2020; Physical activity and exercise in Youth Mental Health Promotion: A scoping review. BMJ open sport & exercise medicine.