Easy Steps on How to Study for a Test

Last Updated: February 17, 2020

This article contains information on the easiest steps on How to Study for a Test in the year 2020.

“The purpose of learning is growth, and our minds, unlike our bodies can continue growing as long as we live” – Martimor Adler.

To study means, to revise materials already learned in order to make sure one does not forget them, usually in preparation for a test. Knowing how to study, what to study and when to study is vital. Often times, the willingness to study for a test is available but how do cover a topic or series of topics could be frustrating or confusing, thereby leading one to perform below the bar. Be anxious no further, because, in this article, you are going to be learning different orderly steps that can get you prepared for a test

Getting to know there is always going to be a test after another until the last, could be intensifying, isn’t it? It is high time you grabbed the bull by the horns.

First series of steps

Create a study schedule: time management is the key to studying for a test. If you have a well-planned schedule, you will feel less in a hurry and less rushed, thereby helping you bench anxiety. You’d be able to avoid Monday morning 2 am reading and cramming session. A well planned out week before a test helps effective reading time.

Here are ways you can create a study schedule;

examine or analyse the number of topics you have to study then try to determine the amount of time you have to study each day to cover all topics. You may test how long it takes you to study everything afterwards. “Don’t say you don’t have enough time, you have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Micheal Angelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson and Albert Einstein “. -H. Jackson Brown Jr.
Study over the course of a week, not just one night but frequently revising the information makes it a long term memory where you can receive it for later. Ideally, take a look at the content a little bit every day.

Begin as soon as possible: if you begin with the willingness to learn, you will never have to worry about catching up. Studying on your own time will become easier if you study the textbooks or handouts, do assignments and go to class.

Here are ways you can begin as soon as possible;

Arrange systematically, a notebook and folder for the class. Keep all your papers together when you need to pull them out months later. Have a retain possession of your syllabus accessible to use it as a rough outline for the class. Always remember to keep up the studying on a daily routine.

Get some sleep: get at least 6 hours rest as possible. Before you go to bed;

Hit the hardest concepts. Then when you do, hit the hay. Your brain has hours and hours to let it sink in. The easy ones can be tackled mid-afternoon while the difficult stuff, one stem overnight for proper retention.

Eat healthily: Studies show that students who eat healthily before a test, do better consistently. Sticking to fruits, veggies, whole grain and dairy products before a test is usually safe to avoid stomach upset during a test. Research says that your diet the week before the test matters. Students that were placed on a high-fat, high-carbohydrate diet did poorly than those loading on fruits, veggies and whole grain. Eat right and do your body right because by eating right, your body gets the necessary required nutrients which will enhance retention.
Avoid rush hour cramming: studying the night or last minute before the test will make it even more difficult, you will deprive yourself off sleep and your mind won’t be sharp. It is impossible to gather so much information at a rush hour and expect to do well. The truth is, late-night crammers get average grades (research proved this). But if you are aiming at excellent grades, avoid rush hour cramming.
Study after you wake up and before bed: the mind is always fresh and clear in the morning. Therefore, at this time, your mind is open to absorbing information, while at night, your brain emits chemicals to cement the information into your memory. So, it’s essential to also study before bed and when you wake up.

Research shows that, the closer the information is absorbed in relative to sleep, the more it will stick.
Research also shows that getting a good night rest leads to greater levels of retention

Second series of steps

Organise a study group. “Learning is the only thing the mind never exhausts, never fears, never regrets”- Leonard da Vinci.

According to Duke University, the most effective study groups have 3 or 4 people. One of them should be assigned the leader or representative and the representative’s duty is to keep the group on track, agree on content together with others beforehand. Being in a study group helps you talk about the content and talking about the content makes you read it, see it, hear it and say it. It is a good idea to spend the first part of your session working on concepts, have a discussion on the concepts of that week’s materials or the key points on the test.

Take breaks during your study time: make sure you take a break no matter where it is you are studying. Get to drink water for proper hydration or grab a snack when hungry. But be sure your break is a short one for at most 15 minutes.

Do not forget, you are only taking a break because your brain and body need it, especially the brain to set information it had already ingested.
Use your breaks to stand up and walk around. Get some fresh air because your brain needs oxygen in order to perform excellently. “The capacity to learn is a gift; the ability to learn is a skill; the willingness to learn is a choice “- Brian Herbert.

Make studying fun: you are more likely to remember something, probably a definition if you associate it with a crazy story. Imagining a fiction and associating it to what you are reading could make it fun and easy to remember.

Graphics and pictures (visuals) are easier to remember than boring, drawn-out sentences. If you can make it more interactive and visually pleasing, do so.
Use mnemonic devices too. If you can build up a whole bunch of information into one word, you will be able to maximize your memory.

Separate the content into parts: the easiest way to do this will be with handy highlights. When you study, it should be fairly easy to see the larger concepts versus the finer details. When learning, focus on the big stuffs then delve into details. Studying different types of material in one session has shown to leave a deeper, long-lasting impression on the brain. It is the same reason musicians do scales, rhythm and pieces work and athletes do strength, speed and skill drills. “Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do” – Pelé

Third series of steps

Take a pre-test: this is essential because

You will be less nervous when the actual test comes around
You will do better

A recent study showed that students who were tested on information they just learned actually did better than those who were asked to document what they were learning. Do a pre-test and have your study group do the same. Grade it for each other because the more it feels real, the more prepared you will feel and be when the test day comes.

Show up early for the test. “That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do; not that the nature of the thing itself is changed, but that our power to do is increased” – Ralph Waldo Emerson.