Exam preparation: The 15 best tips for students

The 15 best tips for exam preparation

1. Plan your semester

In contrast to school with its fixed requirements and rules, university focuses on autonomous organisation. You need to adapt to these new rules quickly. Therefore, be open to reach out to counselling centres, take advantage of the offers by the Austrian Student Representation and other counselling centres at university. In short: Inform yourself beforehand about the upcoming semester. This makes planning easier and helps during stressful exam periods.

3. Time management

Make a study plan that helps you study continuously. Take into consideration that it’s not enough to just be physically present at lectures; you need to prepare and revise! Just try different approaches. If your plan doesn’t work out, then change it up until it works. You need to estimate your workload realistically!

4. Motivation

All these study tips are useless if you have lost motivation for your studies along the way. To prevent this from happening, you should keep in mind what you have already achieved and find out what motivates and drives you to achieve your future goals. It is important that you find your individual “tools for motivation“.

Here you find more tips for more motivation in your studies!

6. Study environment

It’s obvious that the right environment plays a big role in your learning success. Places with lots of distractions and noise are not ideal. So consider these three simple factors that are key to effective studying: daylight, fresh air, and quiet. Most STUWO dormitories offer you just that: light-filled rooms with spacious desks and ample room. Some of our dormitories also have learning lounges so that you can focus on studying.

8. Brain food

An old Latin proverb says “plenus venter non studet libenter”, i.e. a full stomach doesn’t like to study, but it doesn’t work on a completely empty stomach either. Make sure you have several small, nutritious snacks like fruits, vegetables or nuts. Moreover, even if you’ve heard it before, don’t forget to drink plenty of water! Staying hydrated is essential for your concentration.

9. Study material

Keep your study plan up to date and always make sure that all your study materials are complete and correct. Moreover, that doesn’t just apply to your notes and scripts; you should also always have the necessary books, pens and paper, etc. to hand.

Isabella from Graz: “For my studies, there is a Facebook group where other students share notes, old questions, scripts, etc. I always find helpful materials there to prepare for the exam.”

10. Music for concentration

In fact, music can help you concentrate if it’s at the right tempo. Taboo is anything that excites or distracts you. Chill-out music and concentration music are well suited. We have created a playlist that is perfect for studying!

11. Study groups

In study groups, you stay motivated and work on the material with other colleagues in different ways. You can quiz each other, share your knowledge, or even do mock exams. This makes it easier for you to follow your study plan and be prepared for the exam.

Jakob from Linz: “I’m in a study group with two fellow students. Since we have several courses in common, we can help each other and prepare for the exam. We also motivate each other to study regularly.”

Here are some tips for you on how to succeed in online group work!

12. Summaries

The exam material will not only be less, but also clearer and easier to understand if you summarize it. All formats are available to you for this purpose: excerpts, mind maps, timelines, formulas, etc. It is important that you do this in your own words and not just copy it.

13. Find your learning strategy

Roughly divided, there are three learning strategies: Repeat, Organize, and Elaborate. For repetition, for example, you can make flashcards or think up and come up with mnemonic phrases, and then repeat them aloud. Organizing strategies include summaries, study posters, and specialized word collections to make the material clearer. To elaborate, you can apply the content to everyday situations or connect it to content from other lectures.

14. Try study methods

Depending on your learning type and strategy, you can try different learning methods to find out which ones work best. Repeat, organize and deepen your knowledge!

15. Set goals

Your perseverance and motivation will increase if you know what you’re working toward. What exams do you want to take this semester? What grades do you want to get on them? How can you achieve this? With the SMART method, you will definitely reach these goals! Stay realistic and set several small goals instead of just one big one!

But not only the tips just mentioned will help you to learn successfully, also the choice of the perfect study time for you, as well as the knowledge which learning type you are and which study method suits you best. We will now tell you how you can find this out:

The best time for studying

Are you an early bird or night owl? This will influence the ideal time for studying.

Types of learner & study methods

Every person learns differently and you can study most effectively if you know your individual study type. So, here is an overview of the different types of learners and study methods.

FAQs

How do I create a study plan?

First, get a clear overview of all the material and get all the books, notes, etc. Then decide which chapters or subjects are imperial. Set yourself goals and reward yourself. Then plan your study sessions.

What helps against exam anxiety?

Take some conscious breaths, relax your muscles, listen to your favourite music, get some fresh air or meditate. Do you want more information on this topic? Here is an article full of tips against exam anxiety!

When can the brain process the most information?

Concentration and brain performance depend on your biological or circadian cycle. If you are an early bird, you study best from 8am-12am and 3pm-5pm. Night owls study best from 10am-1pm and 6pm-10pm.

Exam periods can be stressful; however, with the right exam preparation you’ll remain calm. In our category “student life” on our blog, you’ll find more tips for studying and exam preparation. We wish you a lot of success!