Official Edubilla Blog

Before we can throw away our books, put on the sunglasses and blissfully indulge ourselves in all that summer has to offer, we are faced with grinding through the dreaded exam period.

And whether you’re in high school or university, we got you covered with a list of the best tips gathered by students to get you through finals.

Incentivize yourself with food

Simply, food is necessary for energy and happiness. A potential technique to combine studying and food is to set yourself a list of study objectives and treat yourself to a snack once you complete one.

Prepare by looking up old exams

Most professors will hand out similar exams year after year, and so if you could get your hands on an exam from previous years then you could find yourself knowing exactly what to prepare for. Simply find a student who took your course - or a similar one - in the past and get as much information as you can. And if your friend doesn’t have a copy of their old exam, ask if they remember what questions they had to answer, which parts were the most difficult and what the professor likes. You never know, if your friend has their marked exam then you could strike gold.

Time manage

With multiple exams within the space of a week - and sometimes even a day - establishing a study schedule is incredibly helpful. Write down when your most immediate exams are and how much they are worth. This helps you prioritize and avoid the situation whereby it’s the night before an exam and you find yourself up until the early hours of the morning desperately cramming.

Don’t be afraid to take a break

Studying is important but so is giving your brain a rest from time to time. Indeed, there is actually such a thing as studying too much: if you’re spending every hour of the day with your eyes glued to your textbook you can hinder your ability to retain information and understand the material. So, if you’ve been studying for four hours straight, close the books for a few minutes and focus on something else. Of course, just make sure it’s only a few minutes and not the entire day.

Arrange study groups

Brainstorming or testing your knowledge of a subject with friends and fellow students can be immensely helpful when preparing for an exam. The possibilities are endless: split up study roles, quiz one another, ask questions about areas you're unsure about and share notes as well as other studying material.

Write out cue cards

No explanation needed for this one.

Talk to your professor outside of class time

If you approach a professor outside of class time and ask specific questions - whether they regard questions to prepare for on the exam or just an overview of what to expect - you may find yourself surprised by how much information you could get. Indeed, if your professor notices you’re taking the course seriously and taking time to meet with them outside of class, they may be more inclined to provide you with greater insight into what to expect.

Read over your notes before falling asleep

Numerous studies have revealed that you are more likely to retain information if you read over it before falling asleep. Simply lie in bed and read over your study material as well as recite in your head particular areas that you believe will play a significant role in the final.