What is the most effective and efficient way to study?

Q:

Hello! There are many ways to study and the way that is most efficient for you might be very different from what is best for someone else. Mostly, it depends on how you work. No matter the subject, it is always beneficial to start studying at least three days before a test. The longer you are reviewing the material, the more information you will retain. For math, for example, I reread through the lessons, redo problems that I fin challenging and always do the review packets. This means instead of quickly rushing through the packet, try to focus and make sure you understand each and every problem. If I need to, I will also meet with my teacher. To study for Spanish, as another example, I start by writing a checklist of the things I need to know for the test or quiz. This includes learning the vocabulary, knowing the tenses, etc. To do these things I read through my notes and go through the vocabulary packet. I don’t check off anything on the list until I make sure I really understand it.

A:

Hi! This all depends on you and your preferences. It’s important to try a bunch of multiple different methods before deciding which ones work best for you. I make electronic study guides from all my science and history notes and then look at my study guide it and write out all my notes over and over again. By making the study guide, I organize themes of the unit and my thoughts. By writing out my notes over and over again, I learn the information. For the main questions of the units, which might be essay questions, for example, I write out answers without using notes to make sure I know the information. I also ask people to quiz me on my study guide and then I then explain the answer to them after I answer a given question. If you are the type of person who needs more separation in topics, I know flashcards work really well for a lot of people. If you are still struggling after trying these methods, I suggest you meet with Ms. Gabrail, the learning specialist at the middle school who can help you find more effective ways to study for you. I hope this helps!

Dear Q&A,

The only thing I am really worried about is finals. The main subject I am worried about is math. This is because there are so many lessons and I may have trouble cramming all of that information in. Other than that, I feel quite prepared. Thanks for this opportunity to share how I feel!

Q:

Hi! You shouldn’t worry, as your math teacher knows there is a lot of information to remember! There are going to be review days and review packets handed out for extra practice. Since you are feeling worried, you should make sure you complete the review packets. I recommend you go review the lesson packets and see if there are any review problems you can do. Also, you should go through your old tests and redo the problems you got wrong. Another thing you can do is form study groups with your classmates and friends. In a study group, you can discuss the math unit and test each other on formulas. Something else I find helpful before a test is meeting with my teacher. Teachers will help make sure you understand the material, and you can always go to them with any questions you may have. I hope this helps!

A:

Hey! I totally understand where you are coming from because having all those big tests in such a short amount of time can be really overwhelming. For math, I recommend making a list of all of the types of problems or topics you’ve covered so far. You should also meet with your math teacher for any extra help you might need. I really do not recommend cramming for this this type of assessment because it won’t work. You should start studying maybe two or three weeks before the final and do a bunch of problems. You could do 30 minutes of practice problems per day, little by little, until you know how to do every problem on your list. I hope this helps!