How to Study and Prepare For Exams

A test is a test is a test, right? Not necessarily. If you want to study well for your exams, then you have to know what to study. That makes sense, but many students think the obvious thing is to study everything. Then they get bogged down in the study materials with no filters and are far too overwhelmed with data to correctly and efficiently manage the material for study purposes. The evidence of this is seen in students who try to take down every word that's said in a lecture, or highlight the entire book when highlighting "key facts." Studying effectively for exams involves filtering the information in advance so that you know what to study. That's the most effective trick.

First, you have to realize that there are different types of tests and that matters. That is the biggest determiner in how you should study. Ask your professors what type of test they're giving and you will be better prepared to study. Generally speaking, tests fall into the objective, essay, and mixed categories. Objective tests include multiple choice, matching, fill-in-the-blank, and short answer. Essay tests can have both long and short essays. Mixed tests will be exactly what they sound like - combinations of objective and essay formats.

Once you know the formats, which you should ask about early in the unit or course, you can prepare the best note-taking plan. For objective tests, you will want to organize your notes into key terms, vocabulary, relevant dates, and significant people. That's because on most objective tests, if you know most of the facts, then you can connect them together, so your notes need to emphasize "facts" - terms, dates, and people. For essay tests, you will want to organize your notes into key points, themes, comparisons between ideas, etc. Essay tests ask you to reason and draw conclusions between information, so you will need to organize your "thoughts" more efficiently to prepare.

The difference between thoughts and facts may not always be clear, particularly when studying for mixed tests, but if you develop a personal style of identifying these categories, you will be making the most of your study time. You can create charts, tables, use colored highlighters (sparingly), or whatever seems to work best for you, but be consistent, and start by filtering your notes. This will turn them into useful tools to study most effectively for all of your exams!

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