How To Study More In Less Time For Exams

Introduction

Effective study skills are crucial for academic success and excellence. This article explores ways to study more in less time using specific and practical techniques and strategies.

Let’s start by understanding the techniques and strategies that boost excellence in exams.

Techniques and strategies to study more effectively for exams

When it comes to preparing for an exam, it is crucial to organize your work and manage your time effectively. While simply cramming information may work in the short term, it won’t lead to long-term retention. The key lies in choosing the right study strategies and techniques that will help you learn and retain information efficiently, allowing you to study effectively in less time.

How to study effectively in less time?

It is necessary to properly arrange and prepare for exams. It all starts with a positive mindset, which may transform studying from a punishment to a chance to learn.

The students who don’t have a proper study plan arrange their studies poorly and give little importance to how they manage time. They either study continuously, not giving their minds the chance to have a rest, or they don’t allocate the necessary time to study each day which results in cramming, attempting to stuff a large amount of information into one’s short-term memory in the very short amount of time available before an exam.

Neither approach is effective. 

To study more effectively in less time, consider the following approaches:

1. Use the Time Available to Your Advantage:
   • There are only 24 hours in a day, so be smart with the time available. Prioritize tasks, set deadlines, and space out learning sessions.
2. Organize and Plan Study Sessions:
   • Prioritize tasks, take notes in class, and use spaced repetition to reinforce learning.

‘Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.’

William Penn, Fruits of Solitude

These suggestions will help you study well and remember more knowledge without sacrificing time for other tasks.

However, these suggestions won’t work unless one develops proper study skills.

Let’s start with a definition of study skills.

What are study skills?

Study skills or learning strategies are procedures or techniques that improve a person’s ability to study, retain, and recall material to help them pass exams. Learning strategies are conscious plans that address issues related to learning difficulties, time management, and motivation.

More specifically, study skills are a set of abilities that deal with organizing and assimilating new knowledge, retaining information, and coping with assessment. They refer to distinct procedures that may be learned and applied to all or most subjects of study. They are the required tools to help you pass exams with flying colors while efficiently managing your study time.

Why cramming is a bad idea if you want to study more with less time?

Studying less with more effectiveness requires the adoption of a smart approach that starts early.

It is much better to study one hour a day than to try to memorize all the lessons and concepts at once during the few days before the exam. This may lead to high levels of stress and therefore may provoke panic and anxiety, making it much more difficult to absorb information.

Exam cramming is generally accompanied by a reduction in sleep time. The students who cram either go to bed late or get up early in the morning to get the most out of their last-minute revision time. This can often result in poor academic achievement because of a loss of attention.

For the above reasons, it is much smarter to start studying for the exam early than to wait until the last minute.

Preparing for exams

For the best results, starting exam preparation early must be accompanied by the right organization and well-thought-out management of time.

Being well-organized and prepared for tests and examinations makes a big difference in how well you do in your studies. Effective studying begins with a positive mindset, which may transform studying from a chore to a chance to learn and succeed.

Active engagement with the learning entails making sense of the material.

If you want to study more with less time, the best thing you can do is to start preparing early. With the right organization, you will be able to space out learning with enough intervals to do other things.

The following tips will assist you:

1. Become More Organized:

• Manage your time effectively, eliminate distractions, and improve your lifestyle.

2. Boost Your Motivation:

• Use practical tips to stay motivated, such as setting reasonable goals and rewarding yourself for completing tasks.

3. Enhance Your Learning:

• Review the material, space out learning sessions, teach what you’ve learned, and use a study plan.

Organize yourself

Improvements in study effectiveness are obtained by modifications to elements unrelated to the study subject itself. This includes:

• Time management
• Eliminating distractions
• Sleep and food improvements.

1. Time management

Time management aims to guarantee that the most beneficial tasks receive the most attention because being able to prioritize is crucial to studying effectively.

The 80-20 rule, often known as the Pareto Principle, states that 80% of outcomes result from 20% of all effort made. That’s why, when prioritizing focus on the tasks that have a high value and the things that provide the most immediate benefit.

The timing of your study sessions is crucial. Memorization increases when you get enough sleep. In general, students are more productive in the morning than they are in the afternoon. However, memorization is better optimized in the afternoon and evening.

Research shows that while production is higher in the morning, content studied in the afternoon or evening is better consolidated and recalled.

2. Eliminating distractions

It’s all too easy to become distracted. Eliminating distractions improves overall productivity.

It might be difficult to stay concentrated when studying, but it is possible to do so by developing routines that avoid distractions.

Here are a few techniques to eliminate distractions:

• Make a to-do list to help you stay organized and focused.
  Use the Pomodoro technique to stay on task for a certain amount of time. To use this technique, use a timer to divide work into intervals of 25 minutes, with brief pauses in between.
• Turn off notifications (email, messages, apps, etc) and reduce the number of open Internet tabs to a minimum, or better do without the Internet connection altogether.
• Break down large assignments into manageable chunks.
• Noise can be distracting. To reduce noise, listen to music, or use headphones.
• Find the most suitable environment for productive studying.
  It is important that you organize and clean up your desk to be more focused on your work.

3. Improving your lifestyle

You must improve your lifestyle by getting enough sleep and eating the right healthy food.

According to research, sleep is crucial for effective studying. A lot of students have sleep issues because they get less sleep than their bodies require.

When students are deprived of sleep on a regular basis, their learning and memory deteriorate. The ability to understand concepts can be hampered and may even make them more prone to illnesses.

Food is another important element that affects the quality of your brain.

A balanced diet is critical for keeping your body and mind fed and ready to take on challenging activities. According to research, certain meals are particularly beneficial to brain health and mental efficiency.

Scientific studies suggest that the following foods are good for study:

• Berries.
• Citrus fruits.
• Dark chocolate and cocoa products.
• Nuts.
• Eggs.
• Fish.
• Avocados.
• Beets.
• Red, green, and orange vegetables

Motivation

The term “motivation” is widely used to express why someone does something. It is the driving force that initiates, guides, and maintains goal-oriented activities. Motivation pushes you to take action in order to achieve. It is the force that propels human behavior. 

Techniques to boost motivation, include: 

• Rewarding yourself when you complete a task successfully:
  Examples of rewards include: going to the movies, having your favorite food, meeting friends, etc.
• Setting reasonable goals for a study session.
  Goals have to follow the SMART principle: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
• Reminding yourself of your long-term goals.
  It is always a good idea to start with the end in mind, as Stephen Covey suggests in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. The idea of starting with the goals means being able to imagine in your mind what you want to achieve. Seeing yourself succeeding in your mind provides an incentive to make more efforts to learn and to realize your dreams.
• Developing interest in what you have to study:
  Connecting subjects you don’t like to things you care about is the easiest method to become engaged in your study. Consider lessons as stepping stones to something more enjoyable. Also, motivate yourself to study by making connections between the subjects and your everyday life.

Enhance your learning

1. Note-taking

Note-taking is the process of gathering information from many sources and platforms and writing it down. By taking notes, the writer captures the substance of the material and relieves their mind of the burden of recalling it all. There are different strategies for taking notes:

A. Linear note-taking

The technique of jotting down information in the order in which you get it is known as linear note-taking. Linear notes are usually lists of ideas or outlines of a lecture or a book in chronological order.

B. Non-linear note-taking

Any style of note-taking that is not in chronological sequence is referred to as non-linear notes. Non-linear notes are used to organize concepts, ideas, and essential concepts into groups based on their relevance or relationship. Some non-linear note-taking strategies include:

1. Mind maps: They are the most popular way to organize concepts. 
2. Charting: This approach of taking notes is appropriate when the subject matter can be divided into categories.
3. Cornell Notes system: This strategy uses a “two-column” notes style. The left column, which takes up about a third of the page, is known as the “cue” or “recall” column. Taking notes is done in the right column (which takes up roughly two-thirds of the page). Students have to review their notes after class or after finishing the reading and record the essential ideas, topics, or questions in the left column.

2. Reviewing

Reviewing refers to the process of going over or restudying material for the exam.

The best technique to review effectively is to add an element of testing in every review you do. This will help you disclose any knowledge gaps, identify crucial areas where you should concentrate, and reinforce your study.

You may, for example, go over the original content to see how much of it you can recall and write about. Alternatively, have a friend or classmate put your knowledge to the test!

3. Spacing out learning

Spaced learning, also known as dispersed practice or spaced practice, is a technique that helps you improve learning and recall information easily.

According to research:

The spacing effect demonstrates that learning is more effective when study sessions are spaced out. This effect shows that more information is encoded into long-term memory by spaced study sessions, also known as spaced repetition or spaced presentation, than by massed presentation (“cramming”).

You will be able to absorb more material and retain it longer if you “space” learning activities out over time.

For instance, study a piece of knowledge for 1 to 2 hours every other day or at least once per week, instead of doing it in a 12-hour marathon cramming session.

4. Learning by teaching

As the Roman philosopher Seneca once said:

‘While we teach, we learn.’

The students who volunteer to teach others work hard to understand the information better, memorize it more precisely, and apply it more successfully. This technique is called the”Protégé Effect“. The students who use this technique score higher on tests than pupils who are learning only for their own sake.

5. Using a study plan

To be effective, it is very helpful to create a study plan.

A study plan is a well-organized timetable that outlines study periods and objectives.

Students should create a weekly routine that includes devoted study time. Dates for quizzes, tests, and examinations, as well as deadlines for homework, should all be included in this plan.

6. Paying attention in class

In class, pay attention to what’s going on in your head. If you find yourself thinking about anything other than what’s going on in the class, you’re going to lose out on a lot of valuable information.

The most effective technique to pay attention to the lesson is to ask questions about the concepts to the teacher and to yourself.

Ask questions to make connections between what you already know and the new concepts or between real life and those concepts. 

7. Taking breaks

According to research, taking deliberate pauses from studying (anywhere from 5-60 minutes) to revitalize your brain and body boosts your energy, productivity, and capacity to focus. 

However, you should avoid using social media as a replacement for a productive break. Substituting a real break with browsing your friends” latest stories and posts on social media doesn’t work as a break. Instead, go for a walk, meditate, or simply relax.

Download an Infographic about how to study more in less ime in a PDF format:

Conclusion

The best strategy to study more in less time is to start preparing for the exam early. In addition to that, you have to be organized by managing your time more effectively, eliminating distractions, and improving your lifestyle. To boost your motivation, there are specific techniques that you have to apply. Finally, to enhance your learning, review the original material by spacing out learning sessions, teach or explain what you have learned to someone else, use a study plan, and take breaks from time to time.

These pages will teach you more study skills and strategies that will help you study effectively:

• Study skills
• How to prepare for exams
• Health and exam preparation
• Baccalaureate exam preparation
• Famous quotes about success

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