Midterms? Read this.

Ugh. Yeah, that's every one's first reaction. Well here's a few studying tips that might help you.

1. I got this one from a book that my mom got me in about sixth grade- Kiss My Math.  It didn't help me at all at the time, but I was recently flipping through it  and found a test-taking strategy that actually helps. The author calls it a pretend cheat sheet. Basically what you do is get one piece of paper (front and back) and write everything you wish you could take with you during the test. Only write the really important things, so you don't waste any space on your paper. This should help you organize what you really need to study and it can be done with any subject, not just math.
2. Know whether or not you concentrate better with noise/music or in silence. For me, I can't focus on homework or studying if there is background noise. So if you find yourself not being able to pay attention to homework with the radio playing, you should probably turn it of. But if silence drives you crazy, maybe playing a little music would help. It's all about what works for you.
3. Flashcards- the classic in studying. Make little stacks of them for every subject with definitions, formulas, dates, and other things you have a hard time remembering. Keep each subject seperate   so you don't get mixed up when you practice them. I put some next to my bed so that I can flip though them right before going to sleep. It's been proven that while you're sleeping, your brain reveiws things from that day. So having the facts in your brain right before bedtime might be a good idea.
4. Don't spend hours at a time studying. That will just fry your brain and make you not want to study at all. Instead, whenever you find yourself watching old re-runs or stalking people on facebook, go to your room and reveiw flashcards and notes for about a half and hour. Do this often to keep what you're trying to learn fresh in your mind.
5. Think of things that help you remember the meanings of words. The don't have to make sense to anyone else, because they aren't for anyone else. Like for me, in Spanish I remember the word "Simpatica" because the end sounds like "taco" and tacos are nice. Simpatica=nice. Also, I remember "aburrido" because it sounds like "burrito" and burritos are boring compared to tacos. Therefore- aburrido=boring.

Hope this helps.


Always,
Abby Noel