Variety is my Exam Study Method by Eilis

Variety is my Exam Study Method by Eilis - May 2016 Scholarship Essay

Studying for final exams is stressful- there’s no doubt about that. In school, we learn what we need to know for the exam, but we don’t learn how to study when exam week rolls around. We have to learn to study on our own, and everyone has their own favorite way to study. This is mine.
Throughout the year, I make sure that I keep my binder organized by date. That way, all of the units are together and it’s easy to find what I’m looking for. Before the exams, I go through my notes and read every single word that I’ve ever written for that class. I read my notes, worksheets, and random papers that have been in there for who knows how long. I go back through my old test and quizzes to see what I missed, then review those topics some more. I look up practice quizzes and test on the internet and take them, timing myself like we’re timed during exams. I study the flashcards I’ve made throughout the year and make new ones. I re-outline my notes, because writing things down helps me to remember them. I look up review videos on the internet to get a visual aid for harder topics.
For really big exams, I buy a review book and read the entire thing, underline important parts, and make notes in the margins. For example, for my AP exams this year, I bought the Barron’s AP Review books and read through the whole book multiple times, took all of the included practice exams, and read through the book again.
All this studying, however, is useless if you can’t stay awake during the exam. The night before the test, I stop studying around 8 p.m. and force myself to go to bed so that I can remember what I’ve learned the next day. I consider this the most essential part of my study method, because it helps me to remember important details during the test.
My study method may seem all over the place, but that’s what really helps me: variety. I know I’m not going to want to study if all I do to study is go through one set of flashcards eight hundred times. I need to be able to change it up: read through my notes one day, watch some Youtube videos the next, and go through a couple sets of flashcards the next day. The variety is what helps me learn so much material in a relatively short period before the exams. Seeing the material in a multitude of different forms helps to solidify it in my mind, and using many sources helps clear up confusion. So, that’s my study method: variety.