Can you study for an exam in only one hour?
With midterms coming up, it's important to start studying early.
As a busy student trying to balance work and life, you may find that you are always crunched for time. This is especially bad when you have a lot of studying to do. There are many great articles with excellent tips for studying, but many of the tips they mention are not doable when you don’t have much time. One article I found gave tips for when you have a week to study, a day, or an hour. I felt that this article definitely had some good points, but I am going to add a few of my own as we discuss its content.
Before we get into the specific tips for studying, make sure you know how you learn best. Some people are visual learners, auditory learners, or interactive learners. Depending on what way helps you learn best, do not be afraid to customize these tips for your learning technique.
Let’s look at good study tips for when you have a week to study:
Create a study guide- If your teacher hasn’t already given you one, make one for yourself. Listen to what your teacher says in class and write down the things you need to know. Ask the teacher what you need to know as well. When making the study guide, just remember that it doesn’t have to be perfect; make it work for you, and make it quickly, so you don’t waste too much good study time on it.
Make flashcards- These are quick and easy to make, and quick and easy to look at in between the many activities that go on throughout your day.
Summarize your notes- I usually do this while taking notes, but if you write your notes word for word from the material provided, then this will be a good study aid. This also helps because it gets you to write down the important things again. Anytime you write something down you are more likely to remember the material.
Draw it out- If you are a visual learner, than this one is for you. Make diagrams, timelines, and/or charts of the main ideas of your study material.
Read the assigned text- Always read what your professor tells you to read. Most professors are not trying to waste your time with busy work. If they want you to read something, there is a good reason for it.
Try not to stress- Manage your time wisely and get some sleep. Studying too hard can have a negative effect on your testing performance.
Studying with a week of time is not too bad. However, no matter how hard you try, as a busy student you might end up with as little time as a single day to study, whether through procrastination or a lack of time. Let’s look into how to study with only one day before a test:
Make some flashcards- Do not make a flashcard for every little thing. Take the big ideas and maybe anything you have a hard time remembering, and throw them onto a few flashcards.
Review your notes- Go through whatever you have written down. Remind yourself of anything that your professor might have emphasized in their lectures.
Find a study partner- This isn’t for everyone. I personally don’t like this method but many people benefit from doing it. Choose your partner wisely; don’t study with someone degrading, distracting, or lazy.
Take a few minutes to clear your mind- Believe it or not, sitting for thirty minutes outside without doing or thinking much can help you so much in your all-day study session. It helps you focus, relax, and retain the information that you have studied. This also helps reduce burnout.
Depending on the class, studying in a day can be stressful, but manageable. On the rare chance that you have only an hour to study, here are some good tips:
Focus- Find a quiet area to study, turn off your phone, and do whatever it takes to have unwavering focus.
Use your notes- There is no time to write out study material. Use what you have already written from class.
Skim through any assigned texts- There is usually a lot to skim through, but you never know what you might retain.
Take every second possible to study- It is just as simple as that; do not waste time.
Always try your best to manage your time so that you have more than an hour to study. Bad things happen sometimes, and you don’t have a say in how much time you get to study. Use the tips mentioned here; find a way that makes them work best for you. Push through the stress, and you will be surprised how much you can accomplish in the little time that you have.