By Alexis Stevenson

Notre Dame is only a couple of weeks away from exam time, and this means that many people will start to procrastinate. Whether it be by taking up a new hobby or simply binge-watching Friends on Netflix, most of us will try our hardest to put studying off until the last minute. However, this has proven to be a problem for several people in the past because it causes them to cram information for an exam the night before. Here are a few study tips that will help make exam time a little less stressful and studying a bit more efficient!

The first tip is spacing out your study sessions. According to the American Psychological Association, it is more beneficial for the student to space out their study sessions because it helps them retain information better and for a longer period of time. So, instead of remembering the information just for that particular exam, the student can remember it for weeks, which might allow them to use the information at a later date.

The second tip for successful studying is testing yourself. According to Psychology Today, by testing yourself, you will be able to see exactly what you do and don’t know and  c adjust what you need to study based on that..

The third tip would be to study in a clean, quiet environment. Researchers at Princeton University discovered that having a cluttered working environment can make it increasingly difficult to focus on a task and be productive. For instance, if there are several distracting objects on your desk, it is harder for your mind to focus on studying. Likewise, if you are surrounded by friends or are in a place with a lot of people, your mind will have trouble focusing.

By using these tips, getting a good night’s sleep, and eating a balanced breakfast, you should be able to make it through this exam season!

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