Studying for exams can be a stressful experience, but don’t worry, we’ve all been there! Usually, being successful in an exam all depends on your study habits and strategies. There is an art to studying effectively, and it may not be obvious to what strategies and habits are beneficial and what are not.
This article will explore some of the most common mistakes students make when studying for exams and provide tips on how to avoid them.
Studying Passively Instead of Actively
This is probably one of the biggest mistakes students make when studying. Studying passively means that you are just aimlessly studying without engaging with the content. For example, reading through a textbook and highlighting random words or rewriting notes are forms of passive study.
Your exam is not going to test you on basic facts – they are designed to test your understanding and application of the content. Therefore, you should be studying actively. This may include doing lots of practise questions, having group discussions, using flashcards, or creating notes from memory.
Not Making a List of Errors
One way to constantly improve your skills is to make a list of commonly made errors. Every time you get a question wrong, you should make note of it. If you review this list often, you’re less likely to continue to make such errors, as you’ll pay extra attention if you encounter similar questions in your exam.
Accepting and Moving On
Sometimes, it is very easy to fall into a trap of aimlessly doing practise questions without understanding why you’re making mistakes.
Let’s say you completed a math sum, looked over the solutions, realised you got it wrong and just moved on to the next one. By doing this, you are not learning from your mistakes, nor are you gaining more knowledge.
When you get a question wrong, you really need to spend time understanding why. You should never assume you will get a similar question right next time.
You should ask yourself the following questions:
- Was it a conceptual issue or misunderstanding? If so, you should spend time revising the topic without continuing with questions.
- Was it a silly error?
- Are you struggling to understand the process used to solve such questions? Make sure you go over similar examples and redo the question again.
Focusing on Familiar Topics
There is no point in spending countless hours going through content you’re already confident in. While this may help boost your confidence, it is not going to get you far in your revision. Instead, you should spend your valuable study hours going through content that you struggle with.
Multitasking
You’re in the middle of a study session, and suddenly, you receive a phone call from your friend. Do you stop your studying and take the call, or continue to do practise questions while you talk to your friend?
The former is definetely preferential! Multitasking often leads to reduced learning efficiency, increased errors, and lower retention of the material. It is also more time consuming. You’re much better off doing 4 hours of uninterrupted study than 8 hours of work filled with distractions.
This also extends to studying multiple subjects at the same time or working on an assignment while doing revision. While it may seem like an effective way to get more done, the quality of your learning is dramatically reduced.
Not Doing Practise Exams
Practise exams are one of your most valuable tools for exam preparation. Repeating textbook questions are not enough, as these questions can be quite surface level and repetitive. Exam questions are usually more challenging, focus more on the application of knowledge and multiple topics may be covered in a single question.
As such, you should aim to complete at least two practise exams per subject. This will help you get familiar with the structure and type of questions you will receive in your exam.
Leaving Everything to the Last Minute
It is not easy to absorb content in just a few days. Therefore, you must start studying early. Starting early will give you time to fix your mistakes, understand difficult concepts and remember facts. It will also decrease your stress on exam day!
Not Asking for Help
You don’t need to figure everything out on your own – your teachers and peers are there to support you! If you get stuck on a concept while studying, don’t spend hours trying to figure it out. Just ask someone to explain it to you, people are always happy to help! It is much quicker, and you’ll probably understand it better than if you were to figure it out yourself. Additionally, not seeking clarification on confusing topics can lead to misunderstandings.
Skipping Breaks and Ignoring Health
Although skipping breaks may seem counterproductive, they are beneficial. It isn’t easy to concentrate for long periods of time, so it is important to take breaks - this also helps your brain digest information that you have learnt.
Eating junk food, not sleeping, and failing to exercise are common things that students do while studying for exams. These are not good habits! You need physical and mental energy to study, which can be maximised with good food and rest.
By avoiding these common study mistakes, you can boost your chances of success. Doing well on an exam doesn’t depend on how much you study, it depends on how well you study. Good luck!
