In Part 1 of this series, we took you through 3 simple strategies to help you study for your exams – they included: revision techniques, time management techniques and making / taking notes. Here are 3 more easy tips and techniques to help you keep your concentration, remember your work and help you ace that exam.

Reading to remember

If you hate reading or you struggle to remember what you’ve just read and you are tired of re-reading sentences over and over again, these tips may be helpful to you. ‘Active Reading’ means you should be reading with determination or purpose – to understand and engage with the content so that you can save time by not having to re-read your text again. These tips can help:

• Underline important passages
• Make annotations in the margin to summarise points, raise questions, question what you’ve read, jot down examples etc.
• Use blank unlined paper, highlighters and coloured pens. You’ll need these to record notes in a mind mapping way, highlight keywords and use different coloured pens for different sections.
• Test yourself: Read for 20 to 30 minutes, pack away your book and jot down the key points from memory. Go back to your text book to fill in gaps you may have missed.
• Look for ‘signposts’ that help you understand what you have read – phrases like ‘most importantly’, ‘in contrast’, ‘on the other hand’.
• Explain what you’ve read to someone else – become the teacher
• Record yourself on your phone reading your notes or text, and listen to the recording while you’re travelling or doing household chores.

Improve your concentration

Total concentration is something that happens when you’re watching a great movie, playing sport, or doing something you really love. So no doubt you understand what real concentration is, right? When it comes to studying though, it’s really not as easy to concentrate because it’s something you HAVE to do as opposed to something you LOVE to do. These tips may be helpful:

• Find a quiet place free from distraction and turn your phone off (you wouldn’t have your phone on during a sports match you’re playing or movie, right?)
• Draw up a study schedule and stick to it. You know what time of the day your energy levels are up – study then.
• If you’re struggling to stick to your schedule, incentivise yourself. Find something to reward yourself with every time you reach a study milestone like a foodie snack, a chat to a friend, a TV programme you’re dying to watch or a walk to the corner shop.
• Come organised. Make sure you have absolutely everything you need to get through your study schedule – every paper, book, pencil, highlighter etc there’s nothing worse than wasting time before you’ve even got started.
• Change your subjects every 2 hours for some variety and a chance to refocus yourself.
• Take regular breaks at regular intervals – 20 to 30 minutes study, then a break and so you go. (Breaks shouldn’t be longer than 5 minutes – time to stretch your legs, get some air or get a coffee)

Improve your memory

Improving your concentration is one thing – improving your memory is quite different. These fast tips are easy to use on a daily basis, not just for studying purposes. Train your brain to remember your work – not just for the exam, but also for when you need to use this knowledge:

• Speak out loud instead of reading things to yourself. You’re 50% more likely to remember what you were reading if you speak it out loud.
• Teach what you have learned. If you haven’t got mates to ‘teach’ then teach your dog or your chef hat or yourself in the mirror.
• Mind maps and diagrams are still one of the best ways to understand and retain what you’ve learned. We covered this in Part 1 of this series.
• Times New Roman is the fastest font to read. Make sure your notes are in this font.
• Create flash cards for a quick memory buzz
• Practise makes perfect. Keep practising using old exam papers, or make up your own exam papers / exam questions and answers– it trains your brain to focus on what’s important

We hope that you have enjoyed these study techniques to help improve reading, concentration and memory. Send us your study tips in the comments section below if you have a few ideas that can benefit students in getting top marks for their exams!

Source credits: The Open University; Study Guides and Strategies; and Examtime.
Image Credits:
Image 1: www.teachingcollegeenglish.com
Image 2: https://www.digoitalspy.ca
Image 3: www.iwastesomuchtime.com