No time to read the entire book. Don’t worry. This video will explain things you should do. We assume that you have just 7 days and 3 hours a day. What’s you should do for a week? Let’s see this video!
preparing
Before you start studying, make sure you’ve got everything you need. On your table should be class notes, the syllabus, required books, teachers slides, the tools you need, and ideally examples of previous exams so you know the structure and how it’ll be graded. In your fridge there should be superfoods: almonds, fruits, veggies, and yogurt should do the job. Even if your brain’s weight is only around 2% of your body weight, it uses up around 20% of its energy. To avoid procrastination, shut down all distractions and tell your friends not to disturb. Ideally, you should start studying weeks before, but let’s assume that you have just 7 days and 3 hours a day.
day 1: see the big picture
On day 1, your aim is to get the context, to see the big picture. This is important because context acts like a memory network, to which you can attach all details. First, you make connections and then later remember things easier. To get there fast, read the class syllabus, skim through textbooks and review all the materials without going into details. If you’re studying Roman history, watch an epic movie about Caesar in the evening. If it’s physics, go visit a science museum and try to understand what’s going on.
Once you see the big picture, chunk it up and make a plan. If there are 10 chapters to learn and 5 days to do that, cover 2 chapters each day.
day 2: learn effectively
Day 2. Now it’s cramming time and you have to learn 2 chapters. To study effectively, make handwritten notes in your own language. Even better, try to explain it in your own simple words out loud to check your understanding. Every 30-45 minutes or so, take a short 5-10 minute break. That will maximize your retention and keep creativity up. Also, keep snacking on nuts and fruits to boost your brain’s energy. Finish your session with an instant self-test to check your understanding. Such quick tests can improve retention by up to 30%.
day 3-6: review & learn the next chapters
Day 3 to 6. Start by reviewing your own summaries and the material from the previous days. Look at your instant self-test and check what you got right and what you got wrong. Where there are gaps, fill them. As you have 3 hours, spend 1 hour on that review and 2 hours learning the next chapters of the material. Like the days before: start reading, take notes, summarize in your own words and then finish with a self-test.
day 7: review & prepare for exam day
Day 7. Again, start by reviewing yesterday’s work. Then spend the remaining time reviewing everything one more time: all 10 chapters. To check your understanding, you can use the table of contents, which is like a very short summary of the entire book. If you have time left, write an essay to summarize all the materials into one big chunk or do a full test-exam. In the evening, pack your bag and everything you need for the exam day. Then go to bed early. Good sleep before the test can increase your performance by 30% – dreams are essential in remembering.
exam day preparation
Exam Day. Get up on time, so you don’t start the day already completely stressed out. Begin your day by eating a good breakfast to give your brain the energy to run for the next few hours. Research suggests high-carb, high-fiber, slow-digesting foods like oats or brown rice. Then leave home on time so you arrive at the exam room on time without being in a rush. Stress mixes up your hormones and should be avoided.
during the test
Once you sit in the test, skim over all questions so you get an idea of what’s on it. Then try to see how each question relates to each other. When you realize how each question connects to the next or to the big picture, you will have higher recall and find better answers. If you are afraid you might run out of time, do some quick math to figure out how much time you have for each question. Then start.
manage exam stress
Carefully read the question. You get more points for answering a question poorly than writing the perfect answer that’s off-topic. If a question is too hard, skip it first and go straight for the easy ones. While collecting points for easy questions, our brain can subconsciously work on the harder questions and an answer might pop up.
If you get too stressed, take a short break and a couple of long deep breaths. This gets your brain back into thinking mode. If you’re doing a multiple choice question and you are not sure, go with your first guess. Usually, your first instinct is right. If you have NO idea at all but there is no punishment for being wrong, then just guess anything quickly. At the end, if you still have time left, use it to review your answers or correct your spelling.
jack ma’s quote
For more tips, watch our other sprouts videos. If we missed something, post it in the comments below so we can learn from you. If you have an exam soon, don’t stress. Even if you fail it, it’s probably not the end of the world. As Jack Ma said: “I flunked my exam for university two times before I was accepted by what was considered my city’s worst university.” Today he’s China’s biggest success story. Good luck!
Source
- Swaminathan, N. (2008, April 29). Why does the brain need so much power? Scientific American.
Collaborators
- Script: Jonas Koblin
- Artist: Pascal Gaggelli
- Made with Minutesvideos.com
