With finals approaching, I figured now was as good a time as ever to share a few study tips! Of course, what works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for everyone, but I hope you find a trick or two in this post to help you this finals season.

#1: Portable Flashcards

This might be a pretty obvious study tool, but I think flashcards are underrated. For student-athletes especially, having a portable study tool allows you to truly make the most of your time. I carry flashcards in my backpack everywhere (nerd alert), so if I ever have a few minutes to spare before practice or during a meal, I pull them out to study. Of course, Quizlet is a great online option since we always have our phones on us, but I love the paper flashcards because it calls for less distraction, better focus, and easier memorization. Plus, students who consistently use flashcards have been found to perform better on exams (Golding et al.).

#2: Study Plan / To-Do List

I’m so predictable, but I love my lists! I have found that study to-do lists are so helpful. I typically write a study plan about 3 days before a quiz or test. I write 3-5 studying tasks each day so that I don’t feel stressed out trying to cram everything in the night before. Then, as you study, add to the list according to your needs. If you’re going back through and find yourself struggling on a certain practice problem, write that number down at the bottom of the list for you to repeat again before the exam. If a professor hints at a certain thing to study, add it to the list. If you feel fuzzy with a certain lesson, add it to the list. Lists help you remember what you need to study, make you feel in control for the exam, and hold you accountable to prepare in advance.

To be more specific, here’s my usual study plan. I start generic on the first day of studying (usually 3 days out, sometimes 5), like “write flashcards” or “go over notes.” The next day is a little more specific, like “memorize flashcards” or “complete practice problems”. As I get closer to the test, I add more and more things to the list, but they are all smaller things (like individual concepts or questions). The idea of this is like a funnel. Start broad, and get more specific. And then, the night before or the day of the exam, after I have studied specifically, I go back through the larger concepts (reverse funnel).

#3: Teach It

The night before an exam, I will try to teach all the concepts that might be on it. In other words, I recite all the vocab and topics of the lessons. This works best with non-mathy classes. Sometimes I will teach a teammate or parent on the phone, other times I’ll talk to myself in my dorm like the weirdo I am. As crazy as it sounds, speaking things out loud helps me remember them better, and it also clearly indicates areas that I am not as strong on as others. Even if you don’t say it out loud, reciting things in your head without referring to notes will prepare you for the exam or reveal what you need to study more to be prepared.

#4: Study Groups

Collaborative thinking can be extremely beneficial leading up to an exam. First, other students might catch things that you didn’t catch for some reason. Maybe you missed a class for a competition or you couldn’t type notes fast enough, but your

peer has the notes. Second, if it’s the right group, you will hold each other accountable for studying and being prepared for an exam. I’m talking about minimizing distractions and stopping procrastination. Third, study groups make sure you’re studying right. As silly as it sounds, you don’t know what you don’t know. Study groups can really save the day if you are doing something wrong, like a type of math problem, or if you misunderstood a concept.

#5: Office Hours

If all else fails (or maybe it’s your first line of defense), go to office hours. Hopefully all teachers at your school have some office hours that you can attend. If your schedule prevents you from attending office hours, professors at Stanford are good about giving you alternative times or put you in touch with a TA who can also help answer questions. Along those lines: ask questions! Before you go, make sure you have studied a bit, and come to office hours prepared with some specific questions that you are struggling with. That way, you optimize both your own time and your professor’s time, and you demonstrate that you are putting effort into the class.

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Golding, Jonathan M., et al. “The Use of Flashcards in an Introduction to Psychology Class.” Teaching of

Psychology, vol. 39, no. 3, 21 June 2012, pp. 199–202, 10.1177/0098628312450436.

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