Kaleb Schwaiger
Staff Writer
With midterms on the mind of many students, study time is hitting its stride. Here is a collective of study tips from fellow students.
Getting good grades and passing exams starts even before class does. Knowing the material you will be covering in class that day allows the student to spend more time asking questions in class and less time working through new topics.
Criminal Justice major Krystine Romero explained that before her classes she opens up her book and highlights the important information in the chapter. She takes notes on anything she thinks she might need, so when class starts she can spend time paying attention to the professor.
Knowing the material ahead of time can also help students feel more confident about their selves. Students also find that material in the book, and that the teacher mentions in class, are usually top targets for test questions.
Oftentimes teachers will give strong hints about what they expect students to know for the exams, and the difference between passing and failing could be as simple as listening in during class.
When it comes to studying after the classes, Equine Management major Anna Lynch has several tips. She says it’s important to not procrastinate studying and doing homework. Getting work done on time helps her to retain the information, since she isn’t rushing to get an assignment complete at the last minute.
Lynch also tries to put herself in the least distracting environment possible, in order to focus. She stressed the importance of refraining from using technology while engaged in academics. Things such as Twitter and Facebook impede any real progress so the study time isn’t as efficient as it could have been.
Elementary Education major Aubrie Preston said that taking breaks helps her retain more information. Every twenty minutes or so she takes a five minute break, which helps her concentrate over the study period.
Pre Physical Therapy major Gemma Herrera recalled many hours of rote memorization. She finds using flash cards especially helpful for this type of studying. She also favors using different colored cards for different categories.
For example, if a student was studying the body, they might have a color for the ligaments and another color for the tendons. This helps the student with a physical representation of the differences between categories, and the brain has an easier time remembering when it comes to the exam.
Herrera is also a big fan of taking breaks while studying; she finds that it helps her recall a lot more information when she spaces out the study time. She doesn’t like cramming right before a test, as she doesn’t remember as much as she could have had she taken her time.
At this point in our lives, everyone has developed a different strategy for tackling exams and classwork. While some require more input than others, following at least some of these tips is sure to show an improvement in overall GPA.
A great one stop place for every student’s study needs is the Center for Academic Success, or CAS for short. Located in D120, this is a great environment to study and receive help in coursework. With tutors always on site and other like-minded students in the center, there is always help to go around.
The center offers a multitude of services such as peer tutoring, workshops, and advisers.
For more information on any of these study tips, or to get some extra studying in, visit the center in D120. You can also check out their website at http://bit.ly/.1D3U5wy.
