Successful Studying

Studying and preparing for an exam can be one of the most stressful tasks to accomplish. Some people do not know where to begin studying or what material they even should be studying. Everyone is different, however in CLS 105 we are provided many ways in which we can better our study habits and our grades.

I have an exam in HPM 314 before spring break begins, and although it is two weeks away I am becoming very anxious and worried about taking it. Rather than saving my studying for the last minute, I plan to study each section in a timely matter so I am not stressed and freaking out the night before the exam.

In order to organize my time wisely and accordingly, I created both a topic outline and a source outline. To begin, I created my source outline. I viewed my syllabus and highlighted the dates and topics up until my next exam, and then I proceeded to write down the topic and where it can be found when I begin to study. This enables me to physically map out what I need to know, and plan when I am going to study the material. For example, on February 24 my class was taught about orientation and socialization. In order to spread out my studying, I reviewed the class notes, which are provided on blackboard after every class, and began making note cards (being a kinesthetic learner, note cards help me memorize the material the best way). Now, when I attend class this upcoming Tuesday, March 1^st, I will know the material from the previous chapter and not only will it help me to better understand the upcoming chapters, but I will not have to learn a colossal amount of material at one time.

In addition, a topic outline is a very helpful chart to map out the material accordingly. After completing my source outline, I reviewed the topics and began. I started by writing the topic and it’s meaning, or definition, and then gave an example which helped me to understand it fully rather than briefly. However, once I completed this chart, I realized that it is very similar to my note cards but instead it is a chart rather than a “quiz” type of method. Not only did I learn from this that it is helpful to map out the topics and create a type of study guide, but it can also be a first step to creating my note cards.

It is evident that everyone studies differently, however I am confident that these two test-prep exercises will lead to success in any course. They both include a detailed amount of information and provide you with a clear, mapped out guide to study. I would highly recommend both of these when preparing for an exam, and I definitely plan on continuing to use them in the future.