Exam hacks: How to make it through exam week alive

Exam hacks: How to make it through exam week alive

Rebecca Holmes, Associate Writer

Are you looking for some helpful tips on how to make it through exam week in one piece? Are you tired of studying for long periods of time and feeling like it doesn’t help? If you answered yes to either of those questions, you’ve come to the right place. Keep reading to find out eight unique ways to help you be successful on your final exams.

1.    Leave yourself a gummy bear trail when reading.

As you’re reading, place gummy bears in specific places so that once you’ve read that far, you’ll have a sweet reward waiting for you.

2.    Learn by “chunking”

The theory is that people tend to remember things better when they learn related ideas in small chunks, rather than simply trying to cram all the details of a topic into their heads at once. Take the study information a little at a time instead of cramming it all in at once.

3.    Exercise before you study

Exercise has both long and short-term effects on cognition. When you exercise, your body interprets the physical stress as you fighting or fleeing an enemy and activates your sympathetic nervous system which allows you to retain information easier.

4.    Spray an unfamiliar scent while you’re studying.

Spray it while you’re studying and again right as you’re about to take the test. The scent will jog your memory of everything that you memorized.

5.    Use a program to block distracting sites on your computer for a set period of time.

Use a program such as Cold Turkey for PCs or Self Control for Macs to hold yourself accountable to studying for your exams.

6.    Study before you go to sleep

It’s easier to remember what you’ve studied if you learned it shortly before a good night’s sleep, rather than in the morning before 12 hours of being awake.

7.    Use a mnemonic device

Mnemonic devices are an easy and fun way to do verbatim memorization for your exams.

8.    Get loud.

Reading your notes aloud to yourself, or pairing up with a friend and reading sections to each other helps reinforce the information that you studied.