Studying
for academic examinations and tests can be quite frustrating for students. This
is especially the case when they are having difficulty in understanding the
unit they are studying properly. The students may spend hours trying to grasp
what they are reading in fear that they may fail in their final grade. They
even develop poor eating and sleeping habits as they try to absorb the academic
information they need for their essay tests. They know that if they don’t make
the grade cut, they will have to repeat the same unit again in the coming
semester. This might work out well for some of the students, but for others it
can be detrimental to their academic pursuance. It might lead them to develop
panic attacks which can affect their health and their concentration on other
important units.
The students should ensure that they take
measures to have control over their academics. When their lecturers tell them
that they have a test to undertake, they should inquire from them the duration
of the test. They should also ask them about the length of the questions, and
the number of words which each question will require as an answer. This helps
the students to organize themselves adequately. This is because they can carry
out a mock exam by themselves in preparation for the main exam. This helps them
to become comfortable with their study skills, and more confident about their
academic abilities. The students can also lighten the burden of hurriedly studying
for an academic essay through early preparation. Instead of procrastinating
until the last minute to begin studying for the paper, they can study portions
of the unit as they progress in the semester. They can re-read the topics which
they have studied in class within the same week that the topic has been taught
in class by the lecturer. This helps the students recognize the topics which
they can easily understand and the ones which they can’t.
The
students are able to plan their time accordingly when they are studying, by
allocating more time to the topics that they don’t understand. Students can
also use flash cards and mnemonic devices such as songs, poems, and others to
grasp the information they require for their essays. Students should also
remember that no man is an island, and they should ensure that they form study
groups with other students. This is in order to share knowledge and having
different aspects of the topic brought to light.