How To Survive “The Finals”
July 2, 2018 7:41 am
Yeahp is that time of the year when we realized all our problems had accumulated and we don’t know if those study dawns will finally be worth. Although is the most stressing time in year there’s a lot of things in our life we don’t have to neglect. So, these are some tips that worked for me even when there was a day left for exams #WeAllBeenThrough. Not everything is lost.
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1. USE A PLANNER
Science says our brain stays active for cycles of between 90 and 110 minutes, that is approximately 1h30 min until 1h50 min. But it only retains information for 15 minutes. So, better to take advantage intelligently. If you are going to dedicate a whole day to study, make a schedule of which are the topics that you are going to review, books that you are going to read, topics that you have to investigate, time in which you are going to eat and the small breaks you will have. It will help you to be more productive and organized during the day.
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2. A PEACEFUL PLACE
The ideal place is not your room since your room is the place where you sleep and your body is used to rest when you are in it. That’s why we cannot get concentrated in our bedroom. Find a quiet and organized place that is well lit. You can also listen to a concentration playlist on Spotify and start by putting in order the topics that you are going to review. Do not forget to have a glass of water!
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3. READ AND UNDERSTAND
It is actually a problem, many times we only read but we do not understand. Make sure that after you finish reading a text you ask yourself these questions. What the text is about and what happened in it? If you are not able to answer it. Dear, you better start again until you know the answers. For a reading comprehension, it is really important the space and place where you are as I mentioned it in the previous point.
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4. USE COLORS
I’m not asking for a rainbow in your notebooks or notes but they are very useful to differentiate the subject and the degree of importance. For example, you can highlight dates of one color, names of others, and events of a different color. You can also use colored sticky notes for the same function.
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5. USE NOTES
If there is information you want to add, dates or events that you want to highlight in your book or notebook, use a sticky note and write them down. This will help you to know which are the most important info within the text or topic that you just reviewed.
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6. SUMMARIZE
It is much easier to understand and read when it’s written in your own words. What I always do is read the whole subject, then read what I’ve underlined and to end read the notes I wrote. Finally, I create a short summary of the whole subject using my own words. Believe me, your life will stop being complicated.
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7. KEYWORDS
Keywords are the smart words. Meaning, the words that will help you remember and have a sense of the whole subject. For example, let’s say you want to remember the details of a very big event in history, like the First World War. You can use the date on which this started as a keyword (July 28, 1914). If in the exam you are asked what were the causes that started the First World War, you just have to remember the date and the rest will come alone.
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8. LITTLE BREAKS
Although you will spend all day studying, it is very important to have small breaks. Our brain must rest after saturated it with so much information. Remember this break can’t be longer than 30 minutes, you can eat a snack, listen to music, do something relaxing. Then you go back study!
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9. USE THE INTERNET ON YOUR FAVOR
There is always a class, or two, or three or maybe all that we do not 100% understood. We must never forget our roots, we are millennials! If there is a topic you do not understand or you feel that you don’t have that much info, look it up online! You’ll find Prezi presentations, educational videos on YouTube, even online classes. It’s never too late!
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10. FEED YOURSELF HEALTHY
Many skip this step, but it is pretty important (actually too much), our body is our temple. Therefore, having a good breakfast, having a nutritious lunch and a light dinner will help your brain receive the nutrients that give it the strength to keep working. Also, do not forget that stay hydrated, is elementary!
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11. SLEEP
I know, it costs, two days or less before the exam. But your body needs to be relaxed, calm and ready for the next day. If you still think you’re not ready. Just read and review the keywords you have. But sleep!
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Although I will always say that it is better to study before the exam, let’s face it sometimes we do not have the time or we just leave everything to the end. If something I have learned in life is that you can still approve the course you missed. But you have to organize your time so you don’t go studying one day before the exam as in many cases has already happened to me. And it’s not about memorizing, but of learning.
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Vibes to everyone, Kiki.
