Tips For Studying
Updated October 4, 2020
Disclaimer: not every style of studying works for everyone, so don’t worry if these suggestions don’t seem right for you. Don’t be afraid to explore different methods to find what works best for you.
Getting Started
Before you get started studying, one good way to prepare is to make an effective to-do list. Example of an ineffective to-do list:
To-Do
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Physics Homework #3
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Neuroscience Journal
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Chapter 5-7 Psychology
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English Essay
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Sociology Paper
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Biology Project
Why is this list ineffective?
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Goals are too broad
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Overwhelming
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Doesn’t break down when and how you’re going to complete these tasks
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So, what should a to-do list look like? This may vary for every person, but in general a good to-do list should look more like this:
Monday
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Solve questions 11-15 for Physics Homework #3
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Read pages 1-11 of Neuroscience Journal
Tuesday
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Solve questions 16-20 for Physics Homework #3
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Read Chapter 5 Psychology p. 102-132
Wednesday
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Write outline for English Essay
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Read Chapter 6 Psychology p. 132-158
This list provides more clarity, direction, and focus. Tasks are broken down into when they’re going to be accomplished, and they’re broken down into more attainable chunks. When you’re trying to figure out how to create a productive to-do list, consider the SMART goals:
Specific – targets a specific topic within subject area.
Measurable – gives you clear criteria to measure your progress.
Achievable – not too hard but not too easy.
Realistic – goals and timeframes must adjust to your particular reality
Time-based – give yourself a specific amount of time to complete the goal within a deadline.
In keeping with the Realistic aspect of the SMART goals, consider your schedule when you’re making your to-do list. If you have a really busy day on a Monday but know Tuesday is pretty free, schedule more of your tasks for Tuesday than on Monday so that you’re not setting yourself up for frustration.
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Creating a Study Plan For An Exam
Much like creating your to-do list, you’re going to want to create a study schedule for your exams. One thing I’ve been advised to do in the past is to create a five-day study plan.
The five-day study plan consists of breaking down the material you want to cover into four days. For example, if you have an exam over Chapters 1-10 of Chemistry, you can break it down like this:
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Day 1: Focus on chapters 1-3
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Day 2: Chapters 4-5
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Day 3: Chapters 5-7
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Day 4: Chapters 8-10
And, of course, you would be making specific goals for each of these days as discussed in the previous section (e.g. Read pages 50-65 of Chapter 2 and do practice problems 7-10). Going over old exams would also be helpful (if an old exam covered chapters 1-5, you can go over it on Day 2 after reviewing all of those chapters).
Then, your fifth/last day would be used for broad review, perhaps focusing on the areas you’ve struggled with. A good way to review is to quiz yourself out loud (it forces you to retrieve the information from your memory rather than just recognizing the information by reading your notes).
I would not advise studying the day of the exam. Take time to relax! Cramming is not an effective studying method. If you don’t know it by the day of the exam, you’re not going to learn it in the 2 hours leading up to it.
*If you have more time to study leading up to your exam, think about extending the five-day study plan! You can divide up the material so that you’re not reviewing as much every day or you can take more days for review.*
Studying Tips & Techniques
1. Break Up Your Studying Time
Your brain gets tired easily; instead of working for five hours straight one day, try five hours throughout a weekend or split between morning and evening (e.g. two hours in the morning and three in the evening). If you really only have that one five-hour chunk of time to work, try to give yourself some 5 to 20 minute breaks throughout that time period.
2. Switch Between Subjects
Again, your brain gets tired easily. This is especially true if you’re trying to focus on
the same topic for an extended period of time. Keep your mind fresh by rotating between different subjects so you don’t burn yourself out on one. For example, you can study for Psych for one hour and then switch to Biology for the next hour. Or, you can split it up by task, e.g. Read over one chapter for Psychology and then do practice problems for Bio, then go back to psych.
3. Try the Pomodoro Technique (or any timed/spacing technique)
This might not work for everyone, but the Pomodoro technique is a good way to break up your studying into segments so you don’t wear yourself out. Here’s a breakdown of the Pomodoro technique:
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Choose a task to be accomplished.
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Set the Pomodoro to 25 minutes (the Pomodoro is the timer)
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Work on the task until the Pomodoro rings
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Take a short break (5 minutes)
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Every 4 Pomodoros take a longer break (15-30 minutes)
4. Search for Online Resources
There are a lot of resources available online that can help supplement the resources you already have. If I’m confused on a subject or tired of looking over my own notes, I like to watch online videos like the ones on Khan Academy and CrashCourse (CrashCourse on Youtube has a ton of topics – physics, history, psych, etc – and explains things in nice and straightforward terms).
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5. Focus on your overall wellness!!
It can be really easy to get caught up in the stress of school and forget to take care of yourself. However, proper sleep and nutrition is essential to doing well. Sleep aids in memory retention, so getting a full night’s sleep is more beneficial to remembering information for an exam than pulling an all-nighter is. Also, your brain needs food! Try to eat regularly and bring snacks, even when you’re studying.
Frances Avila-Soto
Hometown: Zanesville, OH
Medical School: Washington University School of Medicine
Year: M1