Test Taking Tips to Ace Your College Exams

No one ever said college was going to be easy. You've made it to this level of education because you are hard working and intelligent. College can be very expensive, but if you maximize your opportunity here it's worth every penny paid. So since your there, work hard, focus on your mission and challenge yourself. When attending college I really made a decision to put the effort in to getting those high grades that you want to be proud of. Following these 10 steps to earning those high grades is what I did, and I know it can work for you.

1. Start early: One of the biggest mistakes students make is to procrastinate. I suggest you start at least one week early at minimum. You want to learn the material you need to know about, not just remember it for the exam. Even studying for 20 minutes a day for a week leading up to the exam is much more productive than studying it for three hours the night before your exam. Start out strong and you'll finish strong.

2.No Highlighting: I found highlighting to be a very unproductive way of studying. You really want to learn this information inside out. Therefore I found breaking it down is the key. To do this, while reading you should be writing down the material you need to know, and putting it into your own words. This really helps because while reading the material then writing it down into your own words on note cards breaking it down so you understand it. By highlighting your only browsing through the book and not effectively learning the material.

3. Don't Cram: OK so we've all done it. Is it effective? not really. Our brains are like sponges and we want this information to soak through our brains. We don't want to splash the information on the surface, this will cause the material to fade. We want this information to reach a layer in the brain so when your taking that exam and you stumble upon a tough question what do you do? You stop and think. You go back to that study time and if you crammed the information into your head you probably only scratched the surface of your brain and you won't recall as well. Take the time don't cut corners. Your paying a lot of money for this education make your time worth while.

4. Be Discipline: So its Thursday and there's a big party on campus, everyone is going to be there and your friends aren't accepting no your not going for an answer. Well you have a test on Friday you should be in good shape for it because you been studying all week, but you definitely want to review. If you know your going to go out that night you must have your priorities straight. If you are going out make time during that day to get your review in.

5. Study groups: Studying with more than one person can be a successful strategy. For instance if your having trouble with a topic or a problem that may be on your exam getting one others prospective can solve that issue for you. They are also very good because you guys can test each other, ask each other questions and really break down the material to understand it to your full ability. Some work well with others, and some work better alone, but keep your options open.

6. Ask your professor questions: Don't be afraid to ask questions. During the week if you don't understand something that may be on your exam don't say to yourself I'll figure it out. Professors are there to help you. Go to there office when they're available. You don't want to leave any holes in your preparation for the exam, especially if it's a midterm or final. Be clear on what you need to know before going into the exam.

7. Test yourself: Once you're done gathering all of your information onto note cards go through the material and think of some questions you think may be on your exam and write them down. After you compile a fair amount of questions go through your notes and test yourself. This will actually get you into that testing mode and you can see where you stand. It will help you see what you know well and what areas you may need to cover more before your big exam.

8.Good night sleep: Whether your test is in the morning or the afternoon you don't want to wake up groggy and be dragging throughout the day. You want to be fully energized, you want to feel good and ready to take that test.

9. Eat something before test: If your test is in the morning you especially want to eat something. You want to give your body energy and some brain power. You want to be fully charged exams can be stressful and very challenging. You want to be completely alert and focused.

10. Always review the exam when your done: You put all this time and effort into studying for this exam you don't want to blow it because you rushed or you missed an important part on the back. More than once after reviewing an exam I've come across a question I've either missed, skipped or wanted to change because of uncertainty. These are your grades, take the time and make sure that you completed the test fully and there is nothing missing that may drop your grade.

"The ultimate preparation will give you ultimate confidence" GOOD LUCK