Sometimes a big exam is coming up and you only have one day left to prepare. Maybe it’s because you’re procrastinating, or maybe it’s because you’re running out of time. However, even though you only have one day to prepare, you can still get good results as long as you have self-control and stay focused. While it’s best to prepare for your exam at least a week in advance, sometimes life throws surprises. If you only have one day to study before the exam but still want to achieve excellent results, consider the following methods.

Create a Strong Learning Atmosphere

Find new places to study. Make sure your study environment is free of distractions, such as being away from your bed or friends. Being in a new environment helps you concentrate on the task at hand.

• Make sure this is a place where you can spend some quiet time. A quiet room, library, or coffee shop are ideal.

Bring all the essentials. Before setting out, make a list of the necessities you need for study so that you don’t forget to take them. This can include textbooks, notes, computers, snacks, sticky notes, highlighters, etc.

• Don’t bring anything that might distract you.

Turn off the phone. If you don’t have access to your phone, try to turn it off for a long time while studying. This way you can maintain your focus uninterrupted for a long time and reduce the possibility of distraction.

Decide who to study with. There are extremely limited hours in the day, so it’s best to study alone. However, sometimes it is helpful to study collaboratively with several classmates so that you can refer to each other’s notes and explore the concepts together. If you think it is better to study with everyone, then it is best to choose some classmates who are at the same level as you so that you will not be held back.

• Be careful when studying with friends. It’s easy to get distracted when you study with only close friends, so make sure your study group includes some casual classmates who you don’t have close friendships with.

Discover effective study techniques

Review notes. If you don’t take notes yourself, get a copy from a classmate you trust. Rereading your notes is important, but it’s not enough. You need to read it from cover to cover, underline key words and key concepts, or use sticky notes to identify important content.

• Try to write a summary of what each chapter or big concept in your notes is about. Write a summary in the most concise terms, with each part on a separate piece of paper. These summaries will guide your study throughout the day.
• When reviewing notes, do not follow the order. In this way, you can ensure that you understand the specific content of each knowledge point, rather than only understanding part of the knowledge points in a certain knowledge group.

Read it out loud. When reviewing, you can read aloud what you see. When the brain is stimulated by pronunciation and listening, it is easier to remember what is learned, which is better than just seeing it with the eyes.

• Try imagining a student and teaching him or her a certain chapter or concept. This will force you to express your knowledge of the subject in fluent and coherent language. You can see if you can explain what you’ve learned to someone else, which will clearly demonstrate your knowledge. You can also complete it with a study group or study partner.

Use mnemonics. Since you need to memorize a large amount of content in a short period, you need the help of mnemonics.

• Copy it over and over again to get the information stuck in your mind. If you want this method to work, you have to copy the theoretical knowledge or test points more than three times.
• Use mnemonics. Mnemonics are techniques that help the brain store information. You can use rhymes, acronyms, or songs to recreate the information you have at hand into a set that you will remember and remember.

Make flashcards. Write the terms and their complete definitions on a set of cards so you can pull them out at any time to test your knowledge. These flashcards are also useful on test day because you can review them while riding the bus or waiting in line for dinner.

Make full use of textbooks. Very little can be remembered from a cursory glance at the textbook, especially if you only have one day of review time. When reviewing, focus on the chapter summaries and bold keywords, and also pay attention to the chapter introductions and summaries, because these places often contain a summary of important knowledge points.

• Look for review questions at the end of the chapter or the back of the textbook. Take every opportunity to test yourself so you can better assess your mastery so you can tailor your approach accordingly.

Create a study guide. Study guides can effectively encourage you to review all study materials. At the same time, you can also use the study guide for quick review on exam day. List all study materials that need review, including key terms, dates, and concepts. Next, reference notes are used to supplement the listed knowledge framework from beginning to end. They can be handwritten or printed. It is best to supplement these knowledge points in your own words and then write them down one by one. This will help you really remember these knowledge points.

• Friends or classmates may have made their own study guides, and you may be tempted to borrow them when you have extremely limited time to prepare for the exam. However, creating your own study guide forces you to explain these points in your own words and then copy them out one by one, which will help consolidate your memory.

Study for the upcoming exam. Even if you are pressed for time, you must prepare according to the format and question types of the exam. You’d better refer to the course syllabus or class notes to clarify the test question types. If you are not sure, you must ask your classmates to find out the direction of preparing for the test.

• Multiple-choice questions often focus on small knowledge points and detailed content, including vocabulary and definitions. There will also be multiple-choice questions that will examine the order and steps. Multiple-choice questions often also examine the similarities and differences between things. Although it is unrealistic to memorize all the details in a short time, you can focus on repeating certain areas instead of cramming all the knowledge into your brain.
• Essay questions and short questions require the respondent to have a good understanding of the major topics and related concepts. Use the textbook and syllabus to prepare for some sample questions. Give yourself 15 minutes to outline your answer as fully as possible for each question. Be sure to memorize important phrases and examples so that you can make a well-reasoned argument during the exam.

List Study Plan

Understand the scope of the review. You have to know what is on the exam. Examination coverage may include dates, specific theories, or mathematical equations. If you are not sure, ask a classmate to confirm the exam scope and information. This is the key to your exam success, and you must make the most of every last minute now.

Make a schedule. Divide your day into sections and decide what time to do. Make sure you allow enough time for sleep.

Make a list of everything you need to know. Review the syllabus or handouts handed out by the teacher. Figure out the actual scope of the exam and create your own review sheet.

Make sure you take breaks. Make sure you get enough rest and don’t tire yourself out. Take a 15-minute break every 45 minutes of studying. During the break, you can check your email, play with your phone, or get up and walk around.

• You can develop a strategy of taking a 10-minute break every 50 minutes. Study for 50 minutes with full concentration, and be responsible for yourself. If you stop or get distracted halfway, start a new round of 50 minutes. Once you successfully study hard for 50 minutes, take a 10-minute break. This approach allows you to study more efficiently.

Summarize key concepts. List the main theoretical or classification concepts to make sure you have mastered them. Since there is not much time left, it is most important to master the most critical knowledge points first. Of course, the exam may also test detailed knowledge, but only by mastering the large theoretical framework can you better grasp small concepts.

• Classify terms and concepts according to knowledge groups. This is also called “chunking.” It is simpler and more effective to memorize small concepts of the same type within a large theoretical framework.

Review the syllabus. Normally, teachers will issue a syllabus at the beginning of the year or semester, and this information will list in detail all the content involved in the course. Review this syllabus again to make sure you haven’t missed anything during your review.

• You can also plan your review based on the syllabus. Teachers generally develop syllabi according to a certain framework to guide students’ learning. Therefore, you can use this outline to get a more comprehensive look at the material in this course and to know how to better assemble a large amount of information.

Tips

• Pay attention to a healthy diet and plenty of fluids. Eat well so your brain can function fully, so you can retain more knowledge.
• The more review time you have, the better your chances of winning. If possible, schedule a week of review time before the exam next time.
• Stay calm. Stress only makes it harder to concentrate and less productive.
• Take a 10 to 15-minute break after studying a chapter.
• Make key points. Not the whole book of course, but key phrases.
• Get up early the next day, for example at 5 o’clock, and go through the highlighted words again. If you finish reviewing it early in the morning, you can still sleep for a while.
• Meditate before you start studying or when you feel tired. Meditation relaxes the brain and allows you to focus better.
• Listen to music and focus on yourself.
• Do some yoga to relax your mind and body. Back muscles tend to become stiff after sitting for a long time, so doing yoga can relax your body.
• Prepare notes that you can take with you to review before the exam.
• Don’t discuss it with friends before taking the exam, lest you plunge yourself into uncertainty. Only ask them questions they don’t understand.
• Don’t stay up all night reviewing. Otherwise, sleepiness will set in during the exam, making it harder for you to concentrate on the exam, and the likelihood of making mistakes will increase.
• When taking an exam, I always want to cram all the knowledge into my head so that it can be used during the exam. But if you do this, you will eventually forget everything, which will not be conducive to subsequent exams (such as midterm and final exams). So you’d better learn some knowledge every day and stick to it for one semester. Only in this way can we truly learn something.