When preparing for an exam, it is important to start studying early by creating a study schedule and avoiding cramming. Find a quiet place free from distractions to study for 1-1.5 hours at a time. Active studying techniques like rewriting notes, asking peers questions, and coming up with practice problems are most effective. It is also important to take breaks, get organized, and make sure to practice in the same way you will be tested.

2. When and how do you
start preparing for an
exam?

3. Prepare for the exam
Study – start early
• Build (and stick to) a study schedule
• Action plan your study plan
• Avoid cramming

4. Finding the time and place to study
• Where do you have time in your schedule to study?
• When do you do your best studying?
• How long should you study for at a time?
• 1 – 1.5 hours is a good time to aim for
• Where are good places to study?
• While we’re all taking online classes, it is import to find a
space for yourself that you can dedicate to studying
• Minimize distractions

5. • This schedule includes
blocks of time to study
• This student also
included tutoring and SI-
PASS
• They also included
breaks!

6. So why don’t you just
start studying??

8. Avoiding Procrastination
Studying starts in class
• Use class time efficiently
• Arrive to class early and prepared
• Look for instructor hints
• Use your resources
• Example: thinkTANK or Writing Center
• Remember your motivation

9. Avoiding Procrastination
Getting organized
• Arrive at the space and breathe
• Bring tools, books, notes, pencils – anything you might need
• Minimize distractions
• Identify the goal of the work session
• Create an action plan

10. Action Plan Your
Study Plan!

11. Action Plan Your Study Plan
• Develop a study plan for you a class you have right now
• Example:
• 1) Find two text sources (Tuesday 9/29)
• 2) Skim first and last chapters (Thursday 9/30)
• 3) Take notes on one chapter (Friday 10/01)
• Include at least one resource to help you while you study
• What are some roadblocks you might run into?

12. The Pomodoro Technique
One way to get started
• Organize how you work
• Understand the task – break it into chunks (pomodoros)
• For each 25 minutes of intense focus, give yourself a 5 minute break
• 25 minute session = 1 Pomodoro
• 1 Pomodoro = 5 minute break
• 4 Pomodoros (100 minutes) = 30 minute break

13. Other Ways to Get Started
• Look for an easy way to enter your work
• Rewrite your notes
• Return to material you feel confident in
• Identify some steps in problems you’ve worked on
• Try Working for only 10 minutes!
• Slowly build up how much time you are studying

14. Your notes are a study tool –
they should be helpful!

15. Reviewing And Revising Notes
• Revisit your notes after class
• Summarize key points
• Fill in any gaps in your notes
• Review notes before the next class
• Rewrite notes to solidify concepts

16. Write Your Steps For STEM
Translating STEM
problems from
equations to plain
words is a great way to
check understanding
Clearly identify
the goal of your
problem

17. Summarize Your Notes
• For a couple sections of your notes write 2-3 sentence
summaries for pages/sections
• Highlight sections that you have questions on
• Make a list of questions that you can email your instructor

18. Fill in the Gaps
• Drop-In Tutoring
• Online “zoom” sessions are available for select courses
• SI-PASS
• Writing Center
• thinkTANK
• Your professor and your TA

19. Studying needs to be
active!

21. Active Studying
Build Connections
• Build connections in the material
• Connect topics covered
• Find ways to make the information stick with you
• Listen to the same type of music while studying a subject
• Chew one flavor of gum while taking practice tests
• You can think about these connections when you are taking a
test

22. Find Memory Devices
• Acronym
• Example: FOIL for multiplying binomials
• Acrostic
• Make a catchy sentence to remember material
• Example: King Phil Came Over for the Genes Special
• (Kingdom, Phylum, Class Order, Genus, Species)
• Association
• Connecting material to outside sources

23. Prepare for the exam
“Know thy enemy”
• Understand the exam format
• Make practice questions that follow the exam format
• Anticipate the ways material will be presented on the exam
• Practice solving the exam questions
• Developing the habit, developing the skill

24. Prepare for the exam
Study – Practice
• Practice your answers
• Hand-write, talk aloud, make graphs, solve equations
• Do something that engages the material in a meaningful way
• Meet with others to come up with sample questions
• Answer each other’s questions
• Correct each other’s answers
• This is still possible online: you can trade questions over email!

25. Give An Elevator Pitch
• Give a 1-2 minute speech on a topic you are studying
• Word it in a way that is understandable by anyone
• This can serve as a way to check your understanding of the
material
• The ability to summarize material in a clear and concise way
can help you get a sense of how well you understand things

26. Breathe
Make time for yourself
• Learn to decline
• You are a human
• Connect with family or friends
• Treat yourself to a nice meal, Netflix, or a long walk
• Practice structured breathing
• Make sleep a priority

27. Takeaways
• There is no time like the present to start
• Quality over quantity
• Active over passive studying
• Practice the way you need to perform
• Take a break!