How to Make an Exam Study Guide

Now that I have four college exams under my belt (one in Finite, one in Spanish and two in Psychology), I can finally say that I am starting to get the hang of preparing for them. While every exam obviously covers different kinds of concepts (ex. my Computers in Business class is very different from Spanish), I thought I would  break down my basic routine for reviewing information before an exam. I used my Psychology study guide as an example because I felt it was the closest to a traditional exam that a lot of other college students might have (aka based on information from readings and lectures). 

The first thing I do to start studying is go through all my lecture notes and figure out what I need to know. My Psych professor often gives us "study notes" with key concepts to review, so I'll go through and read over that information. I write out a bunch of terms and general information regarding that topic, referencing both my lecture notes and the textbook to be sure I have accurate definitions. 

After I write everything out that I have to know, I make a Quizlet with all of the important terms. I study these like crazy until I know all of them. Take advantage of the test setting if you have a multiple choice or True/False exam!

Finally, I recently started talking through all the material with someone. I've never done this before but I did it before my last Psych exam and it was actually really helpful. You aren't aware of things you don't know until you talk to someone else, so talking through it with another student in your class will benefit you more than you think! It also makes you think more about the big picture rather than little terms here and there. 

Remember: the key to doing well on exams is starting early! In high school you could usually get away with starting one or two nights before, but that is very rare in college. For your first exam in a class especially..... make sure to get ahead! 

I love reading about tips for studying, so if you guys want me to write more study related posts let me know! With midterm week coming up Monday, I'll have lots of material to share :)  

How do you study for exams in college?

xoxo