The strategy you will use will depend upon your goals. If the objective is simply to score high marks, then all you need to do is prepare for the exams in your chosen subject. This involves taking all the necessary notes, preparing for the tests in advance and mastering the concepts and writing effectively to get high marks. Of course, the strategies here will not be as detailed as those for answering more involved essays and questionnaires.
On the other hand, if the objective is to get into a University or College, and you want to do well, then you will need to master strategies for answering difficult, or even impossible questions. Here, too, it is useful to know that if you already know how to answer a green light question correctly, then you may not need to read further on how to answer others. However, if you still have trouble with these, you should read on some sample questions and come up with strategies yourself. These strategies should help you answer tougher questions with success.
One of the strategies often discussed in the classroom is to prepare for multiple-choice tests. Although students spend so much time taking these tests and spend so much time studying for these tests, they forget one very important fact: that these tests are easy. In other words, the answer choices do not have to be obvious. Even when you are familiar with a concept or have used it in an essay, you may find that a multiple-choice question can throw you off and force you to use your skills in a completely new way.
Most students also forget to make sure they are getting enough sleep, and eat properly before their study sessions. These factors, although they cannot be changed, can definitely help you during your study sessions. Make sure you take a few minutes each day to think about your nutrition intake, and make sure you get the recommended eight hours of sleep. If you feel you must study during this time, make sure you do not do multiple-choice or short answer tests, which require fast thinking.
Students also often forget about some of the most basic elements in their studying. For one thing, they do not always remember where they placed their study materials. And, because students use flash cards as a main studying tool, and because the flash cards are so important, they will often put them in the wrong places. This strategy is not just dangerous for your grades; it also distracts you from the real task at hand, which is reading and comprehending the material you are studying. Make sure you keep all of your materials in order, and remember where you placed everything before you start studying for any examination.
Another common strategy used by students is taking practice tests during the summer and failing to understand what the test is about. Most exams are fairly simple to understand, and they provide a clear picture of how you are doing on the test. However, many people make mistakes when answering these kinds of tests, because they cannot quite figure out what to expect. Instead of preparing for these tests in the same way, it is much more beneficial to take practice tests throughout the summer, and to then answer the questions you fail very quickly. It will allow you to concentrate on understanding the material better, without feeling rushed or anxious.
Of course, the most effective strategies are those that do not involve studying at all. In order to beat the exams you are going to be taking, you need to know what kinds of things to study and what kinds of things to skip. If you learn to do these things ahead of time, you will have no reason to get nervous when it comes to answering exam questions. Getting a good night’s sleep is also one of the best strategies to use, and you should make sure to take care of this as much as you can. A healthy, well-balanced diet, plenty of sleep, and lots of exercise can also help you stay calm and focused on answering test questions.