How to Study the Day Before a Test
Jot down what you should know., Take a stab at working through a problem., Retry the first concept., Move onto the next concept., Make and take your own practice test.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Jot down what you should know.
For math, science, and similar tests, you should have an idea of which concepts the teacher will be testing your knowledge of.
Put all of them down on paper so you can check off the ones you learn.
This also gives you a way to organize the concepts in your head.
Find some practice problems.
Some good places to look are your textbook, on pages you didn’t do in class or homework, or the review section in the back of the book.
A study guide would be ideal for this as well.
If you don’t have anything to give you practice problems, you may have to write your own.
Though this is more time-consuming, it may help you learn the concept.
To write a practice problem, after all, you have to have some understanding of the concept or formula. -
Step 2: Take a stab at working through a problem.
It is a good idea to go ahead and see how close you are to understanding the theory.
This will save you from wasting time on a problem you could already almost solve.
Prioritizing your time will mean that when you get stuck, you will have less to look up in your notes and textbook.
After you get stuck, use your notes to work through the problem.
Graded homework is another good place to find solutions to problems like the one you’re working on. , After you have used your notes to solve the first practice problem, try another one.
The goal is to be able to solve each kind of problem without help from your notes.
If you can get it on your second or third try, then you can move onto the next concept.
Repeat this process until you have mastered the concept. , Go down your checklist using the book as you need it to solve practice problems.
You want to move quickly down the list, but make sure you are internalizing the formulas you need.
It will be much less stressful later on if you have taken the time to memorize everything at first. , Writing your own test or study guide will help you in more ways than one.
First, you have to think about and work through a theory or formula in your head in order to come up with a practice problem.
Second, going back through and solving the problems makes you actually walk through the process on paper, and see which methods do and don’t work.Organize the practice test like you did your notes.
Have a subheading with each concept or chapter, then give 2-3 practice problems. -
Step 3: Retry the first concept.
-
Step 4: Move onto the next concept.
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Step 5: Make and take your own practice test.
Detailed Guide
For math, science, and similar tests, you should have an idea of which concepts the teacher will be testing your knowledge of.
Put all of them down on paper so you can check off the ones you learn.
This also gives you a way to organize the concepts in your head.
Find some practice problems.
Some good places to look are your textbook, on pages you didn’t do in class or homework, or the review section in the back of the book.
A study guide would be ideal for this as well.
If you don’t have anything to give you practice problems, you may have to write your own.
Though this is more time-consuming, it may help you learn the concept.
To write a practice problem, after all, you have to have some understanding of the concept or formula.
It is a good idea to go ahead and see how close you are to understanding the theory.
This will save you from wasting time on a problem you could already almost solve.
Prioritizing your time will mean that when you get stuck, you will have less to look up in your notes and textbook.
After you get stuck, use your notes to work through the problem.
Graded homework is another good place to find solutions to problems like the one you’re working on. , After you have used your notes to solve the first practice problem, try another one.
The goal is to be able to solve each kind of problem without help from your notes.
If you can get it on your second or third try, then you can move onto the next concept.
Repeat this process until you have mastered the concept. , Go down your checklist using the book as you need it to solve practice problems.
You want to move quickly down the list, but make sure you are internalizing the formulas you need.
It will be much less stressful later on if you have taken the time to memorize everything at first. , Writing your own test or study guide will help you in more ways than one.
First, you have to think about and work through a theory or formula in your head in order to come up with a practice problem.
Second, going back through and solving the problems makes you actually walk through the process on paper, and see which methods do and don’t work.Organize the practice test like you did your notes.
Have a subheading with each concept or chapter, then give 2-3 practice problems.
About the Author
Edward Peterson
Dedicated to helping readers learn new skills in practical skills and beyond.
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