When it comes to studying, everyone has their own style. Maybe you learn best through reading, while your friend learns best by watching videos. Whatever method works best for you, there is one thing we ALL can do to help the study process: making study cheat sheets.
No – we do not mean a cheat sheet to cheat on the exam! Rather, a cheat sheet to help you focus your efforts while studying.
While you are studying, start making a list of topics or concepts you have a harder time remembering or grasping. Once you’ve gone over all the information for a particular exam once, you can go back and focus your efforts on the items from your list.
After you go over everything again, start making your cheat sheet. This is the information you should focus on the night before the exam. You can even review it the morning of – if it helps you stay calm. Some people like to review the morning of the exam, and others like to just wake up and go take the test. It’s all a matter of preference.
But, if you have your “cheat sheet” of equations you don’t want to forget, mnemonic devices that can help you, or quick study items that you feel you may need to review, it will make preparing for the test more focused and effective.
You could even make separate sheets for major topics. For example, one cheat sheet on plumbing information you want to review and another for structures related information you don’t want to forget.
Remember, the information on this sheet is ONLY the information you feel you need extra reinforcement in. The topics you already know and understand do not need to be repeated on the sheet. Keep it simple and straight forward.
It’s funny how having consolidated information written clearly in front of you to review the night before the exam can help keep you sane and calm, rather than shuffling through piles of flashcards or weeks of notes you may have taken.
Try it- you may find it helps you!
