Studying Tips

So EXAMS are finished! Yes they finally are! Celebrate!! Yes, I am aware that this would make a lot more sense it it were a vlog, but it isn't so use your imagination!

So yes, exams are over and like I promised, I'll mention some studying techniques I've developed. Remember thought that this is from my experience and not everyone studies the same way.

TIP #1
So what I found helpful was to study on your own first. So review everything on your own then review it all with a friend or in a group. This helps because you know your stuff, but discussing it either helps you know for sure that you understand something cause you can explain it or it help you understand things that you didn't before. and let's all admit, friends generally explain stuff a lot simpler than your teacher. I don't know why teachers like to over complicate everything for nothing! They spend half and hour on one topic, but it takes you five minutes to re-explain it! Why do you have to make everything so complicated?!

TIP #2
Take a few breaks when you study, plan the breaks out. So tell yourself. I'm going to study for an hour then I can check my FB or Twitter or text so and so. This gives you some motivations and taking a break is always a nice way to relax and decompress even if it's only for fifteen minutes. But don't just sit in your room all day! Change the environment up a little! Changing your environment can give you a little extra motivation.

TIP #3
Listen to music, well this one I find it depends on what you're studying. So for understanding concepts I like to have upbeat songs. Ones that get you pumped up and moving around. Hopefully not dancing around cause then no dancing get's done. But if you're memorizing something, I find it better to study in silence cause you can hear yourself repeating the facts over and over again. Earplugs may help, but I don't have any :P

TIP #4
Keep a stash of food with you when you study, we all get hungry and having the food there saves the times it would have taken you to go to the kitchen and find the food and at the same time get distracted. I also find it helpful to have food cause I get hungry when I study.

TIP #5
Start studying in advance! If you have a bunch of finals all mushed up, make a schedule and plan out when to study for what. I didn't break it down to the minutes, but I was like "Okay, this in the morning and hopefully I'll get through half the material, then this at night and get to this lecture." And obviously I didn't always stick to the plan, but it helped to have a general guideline.

TIP #6
Don't get discouraged when you don't understand something. Try to move on to something else then come back to it. and if it still doesn't work, ask a friend, Google, ask a TA or even the prof.

Those are my tips for now. And remember! We all have different studying styles. Some of  us study best in silence, while others need background noise. Some people study best in a comfortable position and others in a chair with their back straight. I know mine have changed over the years.

So what are some of your studying tricks?
-J