That time of the year is about to come in a few months. When the majority of the students want to pull their hair out or jump off a bridge because they are stressing too much about their upcoming exams. Of course there are those who do not even need to stress because they remember everything. but you know what I mean. Anyway, if you don’t know how to study for an exam, here are some tips for you so you don’t fail or feel as stressed.

1. Don’t cram

Seriously, don’t cram. It does not help no matter what you say. There’s a difference between reviewing beforehand and cramming. When you review, you have already seen the information a week before or a night before the exam. Cramming is when you just have seen the information in class and never saw it again. See, there’s a difference. There is research done that state that students who cram do not recall the information.

2. Speak Out Loud

Instead of simply reading the information, you should speak out loud while reading it. According to a study conducted at the University of Waterloo, which is located in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, found that speaking text out loud helps the information be stored in long-term memory. This study determined that the dual action of speaking and hearing oneself benefits the memory compared to just reading it. Art Markman also talks about a study that was conducted where they gave people a list of words and people read half the list and spoke out loud with the other half. The study determined that the words spoken out loud were remembered much more frequently than the words that were read.

3. Flashcards

Flashcards are actually really helpful to the majority of the people. It helps you memorize the information by interacting with the cards from flipping it instead of just reading it off of your notes. Quizlet is a good site (as everyone knows, duh) to make online flashcards. Or you could always make flashcards with note cards instead.

4. Keep an agenda

Instead of trying to remember everything you have to do, just write it down in an agenda. People tend to forget what they have due, even if they say otherwise, and when they remember, they’re running around like chickens. An agenda keeps you organized and you don’t have to forget anything when it’s all right there. You could also use a calendar to write down any due dates that you have for your projects or even an upcoming test. It makes it easier for you to study by organizing which quizzes or tests you have first.

There are many other methods to help you study. These methods may not work for you but don’t get discouraged. Just keep pushing yourself, but don’t push yourself too hard to the point where you stress.