Title: Taking Tests
Course: Academic Integrity > Section: Pages You Can Show Students

Best Practices for Studying

Ideally, preparation for exams begins long before you ever take the test. However, it may surprise you to learn that highlighting, re-reading, and studying notes may not be the most effective way to study, and cramming the night before a big test certainly isn't the way to remember that information in the long run!

And because feeling unprepared (or at least underprepared) is a major motivator for cheating, learning some effective preparation tips can give you the confidence you need to ace the exam. This article, 6 Proven Study Tips for College Students, is especially helpful for working in online courses. Below, we'll share some additional study tips that you can use to study more effectively and retain the material so you can recall it when it comes to exam day.

Note-taking

How do you take notes? Chances are, you've got a system that you've been using for years now, but that doesn't mean it's effective. If you're spending entire lectures furiously trying to capture what the instructor said word-for-word, there's a good chance you're missing not only some important points, but also context.

- A mindmap is a different way to take notes that may help you catch everything and retain more of it later.

- Hand write your notes. If mind mapping isn't for you, at least not while in a lecture, writing out notes long hand is better than typing on a laptop because students synthesize more of what they've written by hand than simply transcribing the details, according to this article in Scientific American.
- Quiz yourself with Flashcards. Create a list of flashcards from the study guide and use them to quiz yourself, or have a family member quiz you. This is a good way to practice memory retrieval. The more a memory is retrieved (such as recalling the words in a lecture), the more connections are made and learning happens. If you have a professor who gives frequent quizzes, they are using them to help develop your long-term memory. And as a bonus, those frequent quizzes help practice for putting the information together in midterms and finals. But whether or not your professor offers frequent quizzes, you can quiz yourself. Create flashcards for key terms and concepts and make use of them frequently, before each class session.
- Form a study group online. Reach out to fellow students and see if they'd like to create a study group that meets periodically. Sharing notes and talking through the course material to each other can help you retain the information, as well as get other students' perspectives and experience.
- Ask questions. As you are reading, jot down questions in a notebook and ask the professor questions to clarify your understanding. If you're not sure you want to ask in a public setting, you can always use your instructor's office hours or email them. But keep in mind, other people may have the question - or not know how to ask it, so when you can, it's helpful to speak up in a group setting, whether that's in the classroom or in an online discussion board.
- Build your own study guide. Often, professors will provide a list of questions, or there will be some at the end of your textbook. However, compiling your own can also help you review the work through a critical lens. What do you think is important enough to be on the test? Why?
- Summarize what you've learned. To help process what you're learning, summarize it in a paragraph or two, or try to explain it to someone else. That's a great way to identify gaps in your understanding. Doing this with each reading or class session can help you sift through the essence and store it in your memory, as well as gain a better understanding of the material.
- Try to apply it to your own experience. Whenever you've learned a new concept, ask yourself how it fits with your experience. How would that new concept apply to your life? Does it conflict with what you've always understood to be true?
- Create an mnemonic device. "My Very Extravagant Mother Just Spent Uncle Ned's Pay." That's how I still remember the order of the planets (even if Pluto is not classed as a planet these days). From Harry Potter, to apparate correctly, they are told to remember the three D's: Destination, Determination, and Deliberation. These are examples of ways to create memory devices to help remember. The ABCs song is another example of this. You can also associate concepts with colors or rooms in your house, or other associations to help trigger memory.
- Create a visual aid. Infographics, timeline, and even doodles can also help build a visual model of the information that will help you understand and organize the information as well as remember it. You can find free templates for these on Canva.com or Adobe Spark.

Taking the Test Online

The test day has arrived and you've studied hard! You're ready to take the test. A few tips to make sure you've got this!

- Make sure you've eaten and gotten plenty of water
- Try to get some sleep the night before so you're well-rested
- Go to the bathroom before you sit down at your desk. Once the test starts, it's unwise to leave your desk until you're finished.
- Read through the instructions carefully.
- Before you start the exam, if you have any questions or issues with the directions, contact your instructor.
- If you have the option, go through and do the ones you know best, first. Make sure the instructor has not locked the questions so you cannot move backward through the test, however.
- Read the question fully and carefully before choosing your answer.
- If your exam is proctored using LockDown Browser or another monitoring system, download these tips.

Once your test is complete, if it is an option, read over your answers one final time and then submit. Make sure the exam submits before you close your browser window. Now it's time to pat yourself on the back and celebrate!