Tests are often a very stressful component to every student’s life. Here are some tips to help students to study properly, and to get the most out of their efforts.

Study With the Television Off

Many people will say that they work better with the TV on, but it’s not true. Less is always accomplished with multi-tasking, and a person’s attention can only be on one thing at a time. If the TV is going, you’re not paying attention to your work.

Do Not Cram the Night Before

It is much better to learn material evenly over time. Cramming the night before is very ineffective, because your brain will not retain much of the information that you reviewed. You need time to put the information to use.

Eat a Good Breakfast

Even if you are someone who doesn’t normally eat breakfast, chowing down before a test will help to give you some extra brain power. It’ll also help you shake off that early morning fatigue.

Get Lots of Sleep

I’m serious! Staying up all night drinking, studying, watching movies, etc. is all a very bad idea. You need sleep to function and to make your brain work at its greatest capability. You actually lose IQ points for every hour of sleep that you miss! Aim for eight hours of sleep before a test.

Do Not Study the Day of

I know that it seems like a good idea to do a quick review just before going in to a test, but don’t. You could end up just confusing yourself and pushing other thoughts out of your head. Trust that you know the material and write the test based on the gradual studying that you did for the past two weeks.

Read Over the Test

It is so easy to panic upon first glance of a test. Don’t do it! If you look at the test and feel scared out of your shorts, close your eyes and count to ten. Open your eyes and focus on one question at a time. Quickly read over the entire test so that you know what’s on it and what you need to think about. Sometimes answers to some questions can be found in other questions!

One at a Time

Work on your test methodically. If you’re working on a question, focus on that question. Don’t let your eyes and mind wander to the next question. Do the easiest questions first to build your confidence, and then work at tackling the more difficult question.

Take the Full Test Time

If it’s a two hour test and you’re done in an hour, don’t just get up and leave. Take that extra hour and go over your answers. This will help you to eliminate careless mistakes and may save you a good deal of marks.