Studying for an Exam? Here’s How You Can Do Better

Preparing for an exam may be tough, especially if you suffer from test anxiety. But, there are ways you can make yourself calmer so that come the day of the exam, you’re all set and ready.

Listen to music

Scientists have long been saying that music and memory retention are deeply linked. They say that if you need to memorize a huge amount of data, make sure to have music playing in the background while you study. That’s because music can stimulate the brain and help it memorize information better.

But, your music should be calming and not too loud, say, classical or jazz songs. These musical genres can soothe your mind and let you focus on reviewing your lessons.

Talk to yourself

When you’re reviewing your notes, it can be difficult to be sure if you’ve already memorized the details you need. Sometimes, we fail to realize that our minds are drifting when we think that we’re reading something.

To be sure that you’re memorizing what you’re reading, you should pause after a few pages or even just after a few paragraphs and repeat what you’ve read to yourself. This will help you know right away which details you missed and which ones you were able to retain.

Use the ‘Times New Roman’ font

You’d be surprised to learn that even the font type of the manual you’re reading for the Network+ exam objectives, for example, has an impact on how well you’ll be able to retain information. Experts say the Times New Roman font is the easiest one to read; thus, will make it easier for you to memorize.

Teach a friend

You can go further with the “talking to yourself” method by actually teaching a friend or family member some details about your lesson. If you can teach another person what you’re trying to study and that person understands it, then you were able to learn what you were studying. Teaching forces you to organize your thoughts and find out if you were able to understand all the details you needed to know.

Give yourself small rewards

Studying for an exam can be tedious and sap the energy out of you. To keep your momentum going, you need to give yourself some small rewards after your accomplishments. For example, if you were able to read five chapters and answer the questions to those chapters correctly on your practice test, then give yourself a cookie or a bar of chocolate for your efforts.

Relax and walk around

This is for when you’re about to take your exam. Before you take the test, don’t open your manual or notebook to try and cram in more information because you’ll only develop anxiety. Instead, walk around and try to get some fresh air. It’s important that you remain calm right before you take an exam because when your mind is at peace, it’s also in a state where it’s more equipped to provide you with the answers you need for the test.

Preparing for an exam may be daunting and sometimes, even nerve-wracking. But as long as you study hard and smart, you’ll be able to ace your test.