I know it’s a scary thing to talk about already but the weeks are passing by really fast, before you know it, it’s going to be the Christmas break and exams will be looming over us. I myself am a very organized person, I simply can’t get by without it or I get too overwhelmed by all the assignments and deadlines. So I thought I would try to give you guys a little advice on how to stay organized, study for your exams and still be able to enjoy your time off.
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Make a list of all of the subjects you need to study for.
Prioritize them in order of importance. Decide which ones you need to spend more time on rather than others and allow extra time for these.
2. Get an agenda, organizer or printable calendar (something physical).
Having it literally infront of you can be more effective than having a digital version. Having said that, always keep a digital copy just in case.
3. Use the agenda to schedule in your time.
Remember to leave space for other social events and hobbies. Don’t overload your time with only studying. While you may feel like you are being more productive, you’re actually just overloading your brain, causing the information to not stick and overall wearing yourself out. Which brings me to my next point…
4. Remember to have breaks.
If you sit down and focus on studying for the next two hours, allow a 5 minute break every 20 minutes, and a longer 15-20 minute break every hour. Use that time to stand up, stretch your legs, rest your eyes from reading/computer screens, drink something, check your phone, whatever it is. Just remember to go back to studying and don’t turn those 5 minutes into 5 hours. Studies have shown that this method of studying is more effective than trying to cram two hours of pure studying into your head.
5. Make note cards/flash cards.
These can be really useful. Not only are you getting information into your head when you’re writing them out, you can use them to get someone to test you and you can even take them with you to look over them before your exam.
6. The day/night before your exam- relax!
I know it’s easier said than done but do your best to relax. Assure yourself that you have done your studying and you will be fine (if you have, although I believe in you) and the most important thing is to get a good night’s sleep beforehand. Let your brain rest and prepare itself for the big day.
I hope some of these can help you when it comes to studying. When it comes to the holidays themselves? Take that time off completely to enjoy yourself and forget about studying. A good balance between studying and doing whatever you like, will assure that you will get the most out of your revision.
All the best!
Visual Artist, student at DIT, and writer for DITSU.tv
I've been writing for DITSU.tv for 2+ years now, still ongoing
I mainly cover events but also like to write a few helpful, lifestyle pieces and here and there
