That dreaded time of year is coming up again: AP exams are right around the corner, and no matter how many exams you’re taking, stress is high. (Especially if you’re like me and haven’t really started studying yet). But don’t lose hope! With the right study strategies and a good work ethic, you’ll be well prepared for your exams by next week. Using the right techniques when you study can make a huge difference, so let’s dive into some of the best ones!
One of the easiest ways to upgrade your studying is by using the Pomodoro method. It’s actually very simple: study for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break. After a few cycles, take a longer break. This helps you stay focused without burning out, and you can study for longer in a way that’s more manageable. Sitting down for hours can be daunting, but blocking it into 25-minute sessions is much easier for your brain, and helps you remember more content too!
Another underrated tip is changing where you study. Sitting at a desk or at your kitchen table all the time can get really boring. To prevent burnout and boredom from sitting in the same place, choose a new location: study in a library, a coffee shop, outside, or even just a different room of your house. Research has shown that this can increase your memory retention by 100%.
It’s also a good idea to rotate between what you study each night rather than studying the same thing for hours. Instead of studying the same topic for three hours, try to study three different subjects each for an hour instead. When you spend too long on the same topic, it can actually stop being beneficial to your brain and start making you more confused. Switching topics prevents you from feeling like everything is blending together.
And don’t be afraid to use resources that are out there! Don’t just study from your notes or class materials, while they might be helpful, they won’t teach you anything you haven’t already learned. Quizlet is a great tool for memorization in any subject, and Youtube channels like Heimler’s History can help you with history exams. Other than that, look online for practice questions that you can do when preparing for your exams.
The most important tip of all: active recall beats everything. Active recall means remembering information without looking at your notes. This could be practice questions, writing down everything you know, testing yourself with flashcards, or anything that doesn’t require you to look at notes. If you’re not testing yourself, you’re not studying effectively. Practice questions, past exams, and writing out what you remember without looking at notes will help way more than passively watching videos or rereading a textbook. Videos can help you understand concepts at first, but they won’t prepare you for the actual test on their own. The only real way to improve is by practicing the kinds of questions you’ll actually see.
At the end of the day, you’ve got to study smarter, not harder. Don’t forget to give yourself breaks, but go lock in!
