Final exams are less than two weeks away, and many students are starting to feel the heat. There is no need to worry, though, considering the numerous study techniques available to students. Julia Shcherbakova of the Mississippi State University Counseling Center assesses the problems students may have with studying. Some students have learning disabilities, causing difficulty for them to study.
She said different causes of learning disabilities are treated differently.
“If a student is depressed, we may offer medications that make them concentrate better,” Shcherbakova said. “If they are stressed, we use cognitive methods, like positive talk to eliminate stress.”
If a student is not experiencing stress or depression a variety of techniques may be employed to help them download what they need to know for the big tests.
“We recommend the use of note cards; just by writing things down, you remember them better,” Shcherbakova said.
She also said that it is important to not focus on details, but to focus solely on the main ideas and how they relate to one another.
Getting enough sleep goes hand in hand with exam success, according to Shcherbakova.
Not all students need the same amount of sleep. She said for the most part students should get between six and nine hours of sleep per night during finals.
Proper nutrition also plays a role in getting on the honor roll or on the Dean’s list.
“Students don’t realize the stress that final exams cause,” Shcherbakova said. “During finals a lot of energy is spent studying; without nutrition the body gets exhausted.”
Many times in the past, students have gone to the Counseling Center seeking tips on how to better memorize information. Shcherbakova recommends learning in an outline form. Rhyming and association are also good ways of remembering.
Students who go to the center are provided with information on how to study reading assignments and how to effectively listen to a lecture.
Tips are also available for effective cramming and active learning techniques, such as organization, recitation and the use mnemonic devices. According to Shcherbakova, making deals with oneself can keep one focused as well. Providing oneself with rewards, like watching television after writing five pages of a paper is a good study technique.
Besides the Counseling Center, which Shcherbakova said gives students a “quick fix,” the Learning Center institutes systematic tutoring in English, math, chemistry and history.
Sometimes, the best study tips come from those who know the pain of studying the most¥students.
“When I know I have a test, I start studying two weeks in advance,” Diedra Tate, a senior at MSU, said. “Studying with others gives me a chance to regurgitate out loud what I’ve been studying, and people are able to add on or correct me if I’m wrong.”
“If you need tips now, you’re entirely too late,” said Mike Clifford, a graduate student at MSU. “Just do the work from class, stop whining and be glad you’re not in grad school. Admit that you have to study and put off sleep until Christmas.