Midterms are looming just around the corner, bringing with them increased stress and inevitably long hours of study. Everyone has their own way to prepare for exams, but if you are looking for new, creative ways to get your study on, follow these few simple tips to make acing your midterms as stress-free as possible.
Rewrite your notes
I’m sure you’ve heard this one before, but writing or rewriting your notes can dramatically increase your ability to remember and recall information on exam day. In 2014, the Association of Psychological Science reported that students who handwrite notes do significantly better on tests than students who used other methods of taking notes. Something about taking a pen or pencil to paper triggers a part of the brain that gives your memory a boost. Even if you took notes by hand to begin with, rewriting notes can further improve your studying productivity. Use colors and organize your notes into a clear format. Try different fonts and styles to make reviewing your notes more interesting.
Avoid long study sessions
Many students assume that studying for long periods of time improves their ability to retain information, but the opposite is actually true. Cramming too much information in one sitting forces the brain into an overstimulated state. A clear consensus of how often you should take breaks while studying has yet to be established, but a recent study by the the United States Army Research Institute revealed that ultradian rhythms have 90-minute cycles. This means that correctly attuned to biological rhythms, humans should engage in 90 minutes of activity followed by 20 minutes of rest, cycled throughout the day. Following these figures, you should aim to take a 20 minute break for every 90 minutes of studying you complete. Studying for too long or too short can decrease your odds of success.
Plan ahead for study space
Finding a quiet study place during midterms week is notoriously more difficult than usual. Through the Alvin Sherman Library, students can reserve private study rooms up to two weeks in advance. This eliminates any additional pressure students may feel about finding a spot to study and ensures a quiet spot where students can work independently or study in a group.
Sensory triggers
While this approach may seem less conventional, using triggers such as scent and taste can improve humans’ abilities to recall information when exposed to the same stimuli. Richard Doty, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, explains that memory and sensory stimulation are connected. Spraying a specific perfume or cologne while you study and wearing the same scent the day of the exam can increase the probability of remembering information. By recreating an element of the environment in which you studied, you create a direct link from the stimuli to the information, making it easier to recall. The same goes for taste; chewing a particular flavor of gum while studying and while taking an exam can increase your brain’s ability to recall facts and concepts.
