First and foremost, I manage the time I have available for my test.
I look at the days I have ahead and try to understand the best time to study and how
many hours I will have available in those days.
Dividing my studying sessions throughout one or two weeks makes studying a much less stressful
task and it also guarantees that I am able to cover all of the material during that time.
Afterwards I like to make a numbered list of all the topics, questions and sub questions
I need to learn to be a hundred percent prepared for that test.
This list is very useful so you can keep track of your studying rhythm, telling yourself
you need to study, for example, from point 15 to point 30 in a certain day, while also
making sure that you don’t leave any small details behind.
I like to take my time while developing this list, as it will serve as an index or table
of contents for my test as well as future exams.
After I evaluated my time and I made my list, I like to make a final calendar, dividing
all of those topics I have just numbered into my remaining days.
Try to be as mindful as possible of you availability.
I always like to have in account weekends, holidays and days when I am just going to
be plain busy and it feels impossible to study during that time.
This is important so you can manage your workload – sometimes you are going to study more
in a certain day and in other days you may only have half to one hour of productive time.
Have this in mind as you make your calendar and, if you want to see how I made this one,
you can check out my last year’s video, which will be linked on the description box
below.
After I have decided all of that, I just do my best to study.
I normally incorporate all of my textbook notes into my main binder and by this time
of the semester I already have the most condensed version of my notes already filed and put
together.
This helps a lot during revision time because you can count on a batch of notes instead
of carrying your textbooks around all the time.
Generally, before I start complying with my calendar, I will first skim through all of
my material to get a general idea of the main issues that the test will focus on and afterwards
I will study the dedicated topics during each day.
I like to read slowly and take any notes on the margins if I have the need to.
If I have the time I also like to take my time to create study guides for individual
topics or for the overall subject.
Study guides are mainly developed topics in bullet form that comprehend all of the points
you should cover in an answer.
These are very useful so you can structure your answers in advance and take your time
to understand how you should respond in your test, while also further reinforcing your
knowledge on the subject and making you understand how ideas and concepts connect and work together.
Of course that this mostly applies to essay-based questions instead of more direct or multiple
choice questions; in that case, using flashcards is a more effective studying method because
you are relying on definitions and concepts that you need to directly translate into your
answers.
I do all of this while using the Pomodoro technique, this is, studying for twenty five
minute blocks and making short breaks in between.
You can use any timer for this as well as apps like the Pomodoro app or the Forest app,
which makes the process a little bit more fun.
If you would like to know more about this technique just check my video on the subject,
which will also be linked in the description box.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this video.
Don’t forget to subscribe and I will see you next week.
Bye!