3 Things to Do During Exam Week to Get Better Grades
Studying for exams can be stressful. It’s easy to get overwhelmed, overworked, and overstimulated, and these feelings often translate to lower grades and more frustration. Instead of gearing up for exam week with the same level of stress and dred, here are 3 tips for exam week to help you get better grades!
1. Prioritize Sleep (Even Naps!)
Science shows that sleep helps us learn better. But beyond just the basic reason of being more rested and less tired, sleep fundamentally impacts your brain and its ability to store new memories and recall old ones. In one study, a group had an intense learning session at noon and another at 6pm. Half of the group took a nap between sessions while the other half did not. The group who napped performed just as well at 6 as they did at noon, while the “tired” group struggled to keep up.
Similarly, students who get good sleep tend to get better grades—even if they study for less time. The quality of your study sessions partnered with healthy rest is a great way to set yourself up for success during exam week.
2. Study in Intervals, Not Long Stretches at Once
Rather than spending hours on end in a library, coffee shop, or at your desk, break your studying into more manageable chunks. Setting aside shorter spurts of time followed by breaks keeps you more engaged and less likely to get burned out.
Research shows that studying for 1 hour a day, 3 days in a row is actually more effective than just studying for 3 hours in one sitting. Part of the reason for this is that sleep helps cement these memories. But another part is that the more often you practice recalling information, the easier it will become.
Check out these 7 strategies to make your studying more successful!
3. Do Something Fun
Dopamine is an important neurochemical that helps you feel pleasure, but it also plays an important role in creating and strengthening memory and recall! Having time to do fun things during exam week may seem far-fetched, but with effective time management, studying blocks, and planning ahead, building in moments of fun can go a long way to making the week more successful.
Do You Struggle with Test-Taking?
It can be extremely frustrating to feel prepared the night before a test, then sit down to take the test and go completely blank. Test anxiety is a very real thing, but its root causes may surprise you.
Strengthening cognitive skills can help you remember more, focus better, think faster, and more. These core skills are all tied to your ability to take tests, solve problems, and remember what you’ve learned.
If you feel like nothing you do is ever enough, give us a call today. Our study skills training and cognitive skill strengthening programs may be what give you the tools you need to learn more successfully!
