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SParKY’s Tips: Studying for Exams

Studying for exams has proven to be nerve-wrecking for me. Yet I have studied for and successfully passed many of my exams. How did I do that? After failing some exams too, I now have a clearer perspective of “studying for exams”.

I have compiled a list of study techniques which when I did use, I did well in my exams.

  1. Review
  2. Complete all exercises
  3. Read extensively to get the bigger picture
  4. Write down your own summary notes

1. Review

I used to think that studying was reviewing before the test or exam. However, I realised I was cramming.

I couldn’t remember what I crammed after the exam. This made me realise, what is the use of cramming if I cannot remember in the long run what I crammed. I will be needing this information on the go, not referring to textbooks every now and then just because I cannot remember a concept that I was supposed to have mastered. It would be a disgrace that I am called a degree holder.

I remember one of my Lecturers, Dr. Augustine Moshi saying, “If you cram the night tonight[the night before the exam], make sure you get enough rest, if you don’t you may not have enough energy to remember what you crammed.”
Cramming usually comes with an all-nighter and  my body is left with little time to process what I have crammed and my body was not getting enough rest.

So I decided to start reviewing after each lesson, and guess what? Remembering became so much easier. By reviewing after each class/lecture, I was able to understand each building block of the whole concept.

So, review, especially after each class/lecture.

2. Complete all exercises

I used to take homework and worksheets for granted. Guess what happened? I flunked Math not once but twice.

This year, I decided things would be different, so I started working on worksheet handouts. Pretty soon math became easy. Then being easy, it became fun.

Also, the exercises helped me to understand the seemingly impossible concepts.

I now realise that the lecturers chose those particular exercises to help me and other students understand basics of the concepts.

The learning curve at tertiary level is so steep that when I missed out an exercise that taught me a particular concept, I was handicapped in that area. It was not until doing the exercise again did I really understand.

So, complete all exercises.

3. Read extensively to get the bigger picture

Let me put it this way. You were taken to museum to see a painting. But when you got there, only a fraction of the painting was shown and the rest were covered. Would you really appreciate the painting? Personally, I wouldn’t.

However, if I saw the whole painting beforehand, and then asked to examine only a portion later, I would have appreciated the small portion shown.

The same can be said for any subject in school. Read widely and put each topic into perspective, that is when you will understand and appreciate the part it plays.

When you appreciate it, it becomes more fun to study and learn about it.

So read extensively to get a bigger picture.

4.Write down your own summary notes

I find that most textbooks have summary chapters or sections. This can be very helpful if you are studying the textbook as part of a private study. But in University, the lecturers don’t cover everything. They cover only what is in the curriculum.

Because of this, the summary notes in the textbooks have proven to be overkill for my study.

I summarised my lecture notes and research notes. Not only, did it save me from reviewing unnecessary material for the exams and tests, it also reinforced my understanding as I was summarising.

So write down your own summary notes.

These techniques I found were most helpful and successful in preparation for my exams.

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