Ever had one of those times when your teacher told you about a test or quiz the next
week, even sooner, and you just put off studying for it until the last minute? Why’d you do that? You most likely knew studying in advance for the test/quiz would have been the
smarter choice, and you would have suffered fewer, if not any, negative consequences if you
did. Well, this phenomenon, as pointed out in a previous blog post is known as procrastination, but in this article, we’ll be diving into tackling what I believe to be the root of that procrastination. So without further ado, let us continue!
In the blog post on procrastination, I pointed out how often, it stems from our perfectionist desires and reluctance to get into tedious or challenging tasks. Studying for a test/quiz seems to perfectly fit the description of a tedious task, and for many, it is also challenging, often worsened by desires to complete it perfectly. But no need to worry, I will be addressing how to tackle these two main causes of procrastinating on studying for
tests/quizzes: the tedium associated with it, as well as the difficulty.
Let us begin by addressing the challenging aspects of studying for tests/quizzes. Firstly, if you feel that studying for a test/quiz is challenging because of your desire to get down the facts perfectly or if you put off studying because you think, “Eh, I’ll never get all that down in time, studying won’t make a difference,” the following may help you out. STUDYING MAKES A DIFFERENCE, 9 times out of 10. If you truly devote a part of your day or days to solely focusing on studying and absorbing the material you need to know for an exam or quiz, I swear that you’ll be better off than if you didn’t. Start studying when you can because the more time you devote to it while being focused, the higher your score will be. No one is perfect; what you need to know is that you should make a move to better your situation when you can. I repeat, no one is perfect.
But the challenges of studying may not stem from perfectionism. They may just result because you honestly don’t know where to start. First off, I need you to know that that’s perfectly okay. What you need to do is gather everything that your teacher gave you in
class on a tested/quizzed topic and put it all in one space and lay those out in front of you.
Then, start going through those one by one, writing down on blank sheets of paper or a
notebook what you think might be on a quiz/test from those papers; if you can’t decide if something is important enough, write it down anyway. Next, search the internet for
well-summarized notes or info on whatever topic you’re being tested on and print those out. If you can’t print them, that’s okay, just leave them open on a computer. After that, take your own notes from class if you have them or the relevant textbook pages for the test/quiz and skim them. You don’t have to get every single detail; just get and maybe even write down the ones you think are most important. Fifth, organize the information into flashcards (Quizlet is great) or have it all in one place like a notebook. Then, go through all of that information, reading through it from start to finish at least three times if you put it into notes, and use Quizlet’s game features if you put your information on there. Next, search up engagingly made videos relevant to the tested/quizzed topic on YouTube or another platform, and watch those, taking notes if something strikes you as important. (It’s very important that you stay on task while on YouTube; there’s a reason why this is one of the final steps in your test preparation journey.) Finally, the most important step. Spit out facts you’ve learned, even if it makes you look crazy, out loud constantly in the time leading up to the test. Try explaining what you learned to someone else. In other words, try to do what your teacher does in class, but even better.
It’s important to note that the simple action of sitting down with your notes and gathered study resources isn’t going to do you any good unless you have a photographic memory that activates effortlessly. And I know that for most of us, that privilege isn’t available. You need to be motivated and focused while you’re sitting down. And that brings us to the next enemy of success on tests/quizzes –the tedium of preparation.
There are infinite amounts of ways you can make preparing for tests a more enjoyable experience. Making your preparation fun will allow you to study smart, not hard. “How could you possibly –ever– make studying fun?” you may ask. That’s a great question. First off, you can make use of mnemonics –funny words or arrangements of words that help you remember something. For example, take the memorization of the planets in our solar
system. Memorize, “My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nachos,” and take the first
letters of words in that sentence to remember the planets of Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars,
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. You can also craft what you learned into a story. For
example, say that you had to memorize the organelles of the cell and their functions. You
can make a story like this: My friend, Mr. Ribosome, makes proteins; he’s so hard-working and always at work. But where does he get the energy to work, you may ask? Well, it’s Mr. Mitochondria, who’s always angry and gives off all the energy the Cell Town needs to
function. Mr. Mitochondria is very important as a result, but Mrs. Nucleus is the chief. She
rules everything and directs everyone… You get the gist. Listening to music of any type or
working with study buddies/friends may help you memorize as well, but be careful as it may
be distracting for some. You can also reward yourself for successfully memorizing a group
of 10 facts by taking a brief break. And the list goes on.
Most importantly, remember that your grades DO NOT define you. Trying your best is
honestly all that matters. What is the most crucial and important thing to remember is that
you made a difference while you could, and that should be the only thing of importance to
you as well. Best of luck on your academic journey! Godspeed!
Review By ~ Andrew
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