Students across the state have returned from school holidays and some will now be preparing for exams. Here are some handy study tips to prepare well for the upcoming exam season:
Use a diary to record important dates, times, and venues, and commit these to memory. Research shows moving short term information to long term memory frees up brain space to learn something new.
Now is the time to find a quiet place to set up a desk or declutter yours if you already have one. Keep only the essentials nearby—pens, paper, laptop, textbooks, and water. Aim to focus for 40–45 minutes at a time.
Discover your creative side and make posters to present information you need to commit to memory, such as difficult words to spell, maths formulas, and even your timetable. Pin the posters close to your workspace for quick reference.
Affirmations are known to promote confidence, so write them on post-it notes or save a picture of them on your phone. Say them aloud and read them to yourself as a calming activity. Try this one: ‘Each study session is a building block for my future success’.
Pack up your desk after studying and tick off the activity in your diary as a feel-good and productive way to finish.
Revise what you have learnt the week before an exam to help bring the information back to the front of your brain.
Reward yourself after a study session with an activity that takes you away from the books. Have a healthy snack, chat to a friend, take a walk, play with your pets—anything that gives your eyes a rest. Research has also found that having a routine helps create confidence, so where you can, keep seeing your friends, family, and enjoying hobbies.
Good luck to all the students, families, and teachers during this challenging time. You’ve got this!