How to Study Last-Minute (and Not Fail)
You stayed up late watching Netflix way too many times. Your final exams are in a matter of days, and you still have 10 chapters of notes to cover.
What do you do??
Before we begin this article, let’s just get this out there: cramming is NOT the way to effectively study!! It actually causes you more stress, and it’s only a short term solution. Do your best to stay on top of your homework and due dates, and you will be ahead of the game when it comes to studying; however, life happens.
We get it.
So here are some pointers to get you through those late night study sessions without an emotional breakdown!
Make a Game Plan
What are your priorities? What content do you need to learn?
Break down your objective into smaller goals. If you have two days before the test, map out everything you need to review or learn and then allocate X amount of chapters or pages to study for day 1 and day 2.
Next, outline what you are studying on day 1 by time. You could write down that from 2-3 you will study biology, 3:30- 4:30 you’ll study literature, 5- 5:30 you’ll review biology, etc. Repeat this process for day 2. You must stay very focused in this short, intense study period so as not to prolong the studying even more.
*tip — schedule time for breaks and time for reviewing material you’ve studied an hour or more ago. This will help solidify it in your brain.
Review Your Weaknesses
This is a strategy we teach in our test prep sessions, but it is also effective for those of you trying to become an overnight expert on geometry or Shakespeare! Focusing on your strengths will not increase your score, but focusing on your weaknesses will.
If you learned lesson A relatively quickly in class and you still understand it, don’t waste your precious time trying to understand it more. Spend time on lesson B to learn the content that has been confusing to you. This will cut down the amount of material you have to study.
Study in 20-50 Minute Increments
It’s easier for your brain to focus for shorter amounts of time with rest in between than to focus for hours at a time with no break. One cutting-edge technology company did a study on learning in short bursts, saying to “learn in minutes, not hours.” More and more studies are proving that shorter periods of learning time actually result in great knowledge retention.
However, this strategy does prove more effective when it occurs over a longer period of time. After your class starts a new unit, you now know how to start studying better!
Stay off of Social Media
Need we say more? Every time you take a “quick study break” to scroll through Instagram, you are interrupting your focused train of thought. Scrolling through your feeds is addictive, whether you realize it or not, so when you’re last-minute studying, do yourself a favor and opt for a different activity to do while taking a break. Try taking a quick shower, going on a walk, coloring, journaling, watching a funny YouTube video, or grabbing a snack.
Remember to Sleep
Last, but most importantly, do not underestimate the power of a good night’s sleep! Study the best you can with what time you have, and then GO. TO. SLEEP!! If you pull an all-nighter for the sake of studying, your brain will not be operating at full capacity the next day, which could end up costing you extra points.