aau/tinefoto5 study tips to help you pass your exams during Corona
The university campus is quiet and empty, the country is in lock-down mode, and it’s largely up to you to summon up the motivation and the energy to study by yourself at home. We have put together five tips to get you inspired to study.
1.) Multi-sensory learning! Walk, listen or paint while you study!
And then there you are, sitting at the table with your papers around you, and you don’t know quite how to go about it. In fact, students are experts at learning, having already successfully completed a number of examinations. If you find that studying is a constant source of distress, you may want to try some different revision methods. You might find it helpful to repeat what you have learned while walking, for example in the woods. Or you can record the exam topic on your smartphone and listen to the material over and over again. Sometimes it helps to create large, brightly painted posters that you can hang on the walls of your home. Those who opt for “multi-sensory” learning can recall knowledge more easily because it is anchored more securely in their minds: Thinking back to your walk through the forest, you may remember what it was you were reciting to yourself when you passed the fallen birch tree. Or maybe the parts of the poster marked with blue highlighters will remind you of one theory, and the green lines will remind you of another.
Tip: A memory exercise can also help you visualise things that are particularly difficult to remember: You will find that when you move through the rooms again in your mind during the exam, you will be able to simply “retrieve” the content.Imagine a house with its various rooms and imagine placing individual words/content in the different rooms. You will find that when you move through the rooms again in your mind during the exam, you will be able to simply “retrieve” the content.
2.) Mock exams with your friends!
You are not alone, not even when it comes to exams. If you want to gain confidence, you can ask friends to test you. This gives you the opportunity to review the content and you can also act out the exam situation including all of its uncertain aspects. By the way, if you “pass” an exam during a mock session, you can still celebrate; you’ll be practising for the real thing at the same time.
3.) Keep your goal in sight
When you study for an exam at university, you are taking an important step towards gaining your degree. Many little steps will lead you to your goal, and you should not lose sight of it. In the long run, your academic studies will pay off: Not only will you have acquired new skills, but you will also be earning a higher average wage. At the age of 30, graduates earn about 20 percent more on average compared to non-graduates, though this naturally depends on the profession in which you want to work. Hence, the rule is: Keep up the good work and stick to your studies!
4.) Study in small portions
Sorry to disappoint you: It is utterly impossible to work through the whole 600-page textbook in a single weekend. A weekend only has 48 hours, and all the energy drinks in the world can’t stretch it any further. If you are one of those people who always seem to leave their revision to the last minute, we’re here to tell you: Your life really could be much easier, more pleasant and more relaxed if you address your time management. If you start sooner, you can split the 600 pages into smaller units, spend a reasonable amount of time at your desk each day and, in total, spend much less time in a state of despair.
5.) Set a limit to your revision time
It seems unlikely that you belong to the 0.1 percent of students who can easily concentrate on their studies for ten hours or more at a stretch. So limit your revision time, but use it efficiently and make the most of the rest of your free time instead!
And here’s how: First, find out when you are most productive. Are you one of those types who can concentrate best at ten in the evening or are you the “early bird” kind of person? Plan small sessions of 2-3 hours with short breaks. If possible, turn off all those distracting devices with their tempting apps and use your revision time as efficiently as possible. You’ll soon discover: You will achieve more in 2 hours of effective studying than in 8 hours spent glancing at your Instagram account or WhatsApp messages every two minutes.
