Hi everyone! One of the hardest things to do is active studying before exams! While many of us study hard, we may not be considering that we are not studying actively! Passive studying is things such as only reading previously highlighted material and continuously reciting the same information over and over. To actively study, first break your study time down into two different categories: Preparation and Review!
The key to Preparation is ICOW! Identify, Condense, Organize, and Write. These strategies will help you do it:
Develop concept maps and charts
Create flash cards for vocab, questions, formulas and problems
Remark (rehighlight or review previously highlighted material and finding what is the most important information)
Summarize text or lecture notes into main ideas
List the steps needed for a problem or concept
Answer questions at the end of the chapter.
Prepare material for a study group
Create a 5-Day study plan
Next you want to actually Review the information you gathered through your prep. The key to review is RE-USE: Rehearse, Extend, Understand, Self-Test, and Evaluate. Here are some strategies:
Recite outloud information from your study sheets
Replicate concept maps with little to no help
Recite any flashcards you made. Separate out any difficult cards so that you can continue to review them.
Practice writing formulas
Complete practice problems, circle steps you did wrong and try again in a different pen color (to help you identify the differences)
Take the self-tests you made before.
Attempt reverse testing. Make questions out of the answers from before and work them backwards.
Take notes on remarked tests and notes
Explain material to group members
Write essay answers from memory
Go through lecture slides or textbook and recite all the information you know based off of the heading.
Evaluate how much you know and how much you have to review again. Take longer in reviewing missed material and simply review information you learned quickly for the end of your study session.
Note: Many of these tasks are from the book Taking Charge of Your Learning by Dianna Blerkom
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