How to Study Smart - Not Hard

Spending several hours a day engaged in exam preparation, and remembering very little the next day does not sound ideal. Unfortunately, however, this is how most people study for their final exams. They spend too much time, and gain very little in terms of memory retention. 

If you want to learn how to study smart and make the most of the time that you spend in exam preparation, then keep reading, Here are some top tips to help you study smart (not hard!) for your final exams. 

Write Notes

Break the habit of sitting passively during your classroom lectures, or aimlessly staring at pages from your textbook under the guise of “rote learning”. Instead, develop the habit of writing effective notes. Writing notes of the important points and key phrases from each chapter will not only be helpful during exam preparation, but it will facilitate better memory retention and improve your concentration. This way, you will actually remember and absorb the information that you study. Writing notes also makes solving past papers easier, as you can easily refer back to the relevant points.  

Past Papers

Obtain the previous 5 years past papers, which are available on tutoria.pk, and try to solve all the past papers at least once. Past papers are a great way to study smart, as it effectively helps you in your Multan Board exam preparation, in terms of applying your knowledge of the syllabus, practicing actual exam questions, getting a clear idea of the paper pattern, marks allocation, etc… After studying each chapter of the syllabus, try to solve as many past papers questions as you can. This will cement your concepts, boost your understanding, and lead to better memory retention. It will also give you the confidence you need to perform well on your final exams.  

Different Learning Methods

Switch up your learning methods, in order to break the monotony of your exam preparation. For example, try teaching a chapter to someone else, watch a video tutorial for a topic, rewrite notes, read end-of-chapter summaries from the textbook, use solved past papers, etc… Using different learning methods will not only improve memory retention, as the information will be constantly presented to your brain in new ways, but it can also help you find the most suitable study method for yourself. This way, you will not become bored, but will be able to retain attention in order to study smart for the final exams. 

Take Breaks

Do not overwhelm your brain with intense cram sessions. Instead, study in smaller bursts, and then take a 5 minute break in between each study session. This way, you will be able to study with greater concentration, and will not experience the problem of sitting passively without absorbing anything. Small 5 minute breaks in between your exam preparation will help clear your mind before you sit down to study again. This way, you will be more focused and motivated for each exam preparation or past papers practice session. 

Be sure to follow these tips to help you study hard for your final exams, without wasting any time or energy! Good luck!