Simple Exam Prep Tips for Students
One of the most difficult aspects of college for me was the constant barrage of exams we were given. I can't remember exactly what the record was for most exams taken in a week, but it was a lot. A lot more than I thought necessary at the time, that's for sure.
I was always on top of my studies, maybe a bit of a nerd, but I wanted to excel and move on to a great career, so nerd or not, I did what I had to do. Of course all of these exams were taking their toll on my grade average, because I stunk at taking tests. Not sure why, but I did horribly on each and every test that I was given.
So, rather than sit around and wait for my falling grades to catch up with me, I decided to do something about it. I began reading up on the best methods for taking tests and it really worked. After applying some of the stuff that I read, I actually started increasing my scores.
What I found was that my study habits were all wrong and my fear of tests was bringing down my confidence level which was having a negative effect on my testing skills. Here are some of the things that really seemed to help me:
1. Study hard - I didn't have a problem here, but it is important to point out. A lot of students like to take short cuts on their studying, but you need to quit that.
2. Stop cramming - This was something that I did all of the time. I thought that by cramming as hard as I could before the exam I would fill my brain with all of the information I needed. Wrong. Cramming can actually cause you to lose the information you have learned up to this point.
3. Plenty of sleep - Scientific studies have actually shown that a person with a good eight to nine hours of sleep the night before a big test will score higher than a person with less than eight hours of sleep. Your brain needs the rest to keep information fresh.
4. Be confident - I know this is a little hard to just do, but somehow or another you need to boost your confidence. Find an activity that you are good at, that may make you feel confident in yourself and do it just before the test. Whatever it takes.
So there you go, some simple exam tips. I actually used these to finish out my education and then went on to pass my real estate exam with the same advice. I passed the first time and scored pretty high.
Jessica
~ My Diary ~