Reading and re-reading your notes is part of the review process. But it’s a passive way of learning and on its own, not the most effective. Combine different strategies to reinforce and assess what you know.
Try Bloom’s Taxonomy framework:
Remember: Use strategies like colour-coding, creating flash cards and drawing visuals to help you remember the content you’re reviewing.
Understand: Read and revisit explanations of the concepts you are studying. Identify what you don’t understand and ask your TA or instructor for clarification.
Apply: Search for connections between different terms and main concepts from the course.
Analyze: Think about the significance of a term or theory to understand how it informs a main concept in the course.
Evaluate: Complete practice questions or exams. Make corrections and investigate errors you’ve made to make sure you improve your understanding.
Create: Make a practice exam to test your speed and accuracy in answering questions that you think will be on your exam.
5) Understand the format
Typically, instructors tell you the format of the exam (multiple choice, short answer, long answer, etc.). This can help you plan how to study the course material and how long you’ll be able to spend on each question during the exam.
You can also think of what your answers need to demonstrate to show the marker you understood the question. If the format isn’t provided in the syllabus, reach out to your TA or instructor.
Studying before any test or exam can be stressful. But if you give yourself enough time to study strategically, you can feel more confident.
Find more tips in note-taking, time management and studying in Quick Tips and Tools.