Feeling in control of your study sessions is the key to successful results. Study notes play a big party in your exam preparations and it’s something you should be building on throughout the semester. The simple act of making study notes, and breaking the subject down into key relevant points, is what help you recall those points under test conditions. While your notes can be useful, realising that they are not quite up to scratch is all the motivation you need to sort them out and make sure they are organised. Sift through loose piles of paper and sticky notes trying to find the relevant subject and come across shopping lists and registration forms is not ideal.
Following these 4 simple steps to get your scraps of paper into a working study tool.
📕1. Take an Inventory
Collect all notes you have made so far and start by sorting them into subjects.For example, gather all your Psychology notes, and with the syllabus on hand, check off all the points you have covered and make note of those you have missed or are unsure of. It may help to apply the 5 second rule. Quiz yourself on a few key points and if you can’t recall them within 5 seconds add this to your new inventory. Now you have a list of topics you need to revisit. Make a new hard copy of this list so you refer to it in your study session.
📕2. Plan Your Cycles
This is a good time to look at the calendar of upcoming exams and assessments and figure out which notes you’ll need sooner and which ones can wait a bit longer. Grab your calendar and start planning out some weekly summaries, taking into account which subjects need more attention or re-writing of notes. It’s also a good idea to leave a few spare days incase you find a few holes in your notes or topics you have missed. A lot of subject like to borrow or even purchase previous students notes. Sometimes they can be very help if they are well constructed, and it saves you time you may not have. On the other hand, it is the act of making your own notes that helps you commit the key points to memory. We all have different ways of learning and remembering, some of us are visual so drawing diagrams and sketches may work for you. Others may be auditory learning, so making voice recording of your key points and playing them back is another great option.
📕3. Study Your Notes
Studying your notes isn’t just about writing them out over and over again and re-reading them, you need to try different techniques to learn more effectively.
Quizzing- give your notes to a friend and ask them to quiz you, or use the Quizlet App for quick online solution.
Flash Cards- Write a question on one side and the answer on the other, this technique is great in study groups.
Teach Someone- teaching is the best way to commit your content to memory. Try teaching a friend the content of your subject and let them check your notes for anything you’ve missed.
Recordings- Record yourself reading your notes, then you can take them with you on a walk out in the sunshine or in the car on a long trip.
📕4. Rewrites
Be your own critic, as your study notes are only as effective as you make them. So make sure you re-evaluate them. Go over your summaries of each topic and see if you can condense that down to halve the word count. It still needs to be concise and on point as possible for easy recall. By taking inventory of your study notes, and trying to incorporate new study techniques, you can take your notes to the next level.