Sleep, Notes, and Repetition by Trudee

Sleep, Notes, and Repetition by Trudee - May 2016 Scholarship Essay

When I prepare for an exam I prepare throughout the entire course. I keep things organized and labeled to review later. Most importantly I reserve a notebook for taking pertinent information in and keep it very organized by subject, key words, and any insight the professor may have. It is too difficult to review raw material that has not been explained by the professor let alone trying to find this in my text books or online written lectures so I always make my own notes to review later that include both text book notes, class discussion, and lecture notes.
When I go back to find information that I need to study I will use my text book but I will make notes in the margins or mark pages with sticky notes that have a brief title to jog my memory so I can refer back to the information later as quickly as possible.
After I have gathered my information I compose flash cards where I will ask myself possible test questions on one side with the answer on the other. I will form my questions with multiple choice answers, or fill in the blank. I study for an exam at least one to two week prior to taking the test so that I am well prepared. I schedule a portion of my study time before I go to sleep so that I can retain the information better as studies have shown. I also never binge study all night before an exam because studies have also shown that a person who has adequate sleep will do better on a test than someone who is sleep deprived.
Overall, studying is not just a single method that works best but rather it is multiple disciplines that produce good study habits that in turn produce good test scores.