The Secret to Exam Success

May 21, 2010 • High School

As the school year begins to wind down, exam pressure begins to build.

So, what’s the one thing that students need to know in order to study successfully and beat exam stress?

Well, there are more than a few study strategies that help students study smart, not hard. It’s also important that students give themselves plenty of time to study so that they don’t end up cramming, which rarely works for remembering material long-term.

But if there is one thing—one secret—to effective studying it’s this: turning on the brain before hitting the books. Active learning. No, it’s not a buzzword—it’s a proven technique that gives students an edge.

Without it, students are just moving their eyes over the page, and that’s a very ineffective way to study—it takes longer, and gets less results.

So, how do students engage their brain while studying?

In order to properly engage the brain during studying, students need to be continually asking themselves questions before, during, and after study time:

BEFORE STUDYING:

• What am I about to learn?
• What do I already know about this subject?

DURING STUDYING:

• How does this information fit into a bigger picture?
• Do I understand what I have just read?
• Can I paraphrase it?
• Are there any key words that I need to write down? Why are these words key?

AFTER STUDYING:

• What do I remember from what I studied?
• What materials do I need to go over again?
• Is there another way that I can think about the material?
• Can I see the material in a way that I didn’t see it before?

These questions help students to “turn on their brain.” By “turning on the brain” during study time, students:

1. Maximize their ability to remember material
2. Study less
3. Achieve greater exam success