There will be times where you find yourself stressing over a particular class. For me, I was stressing over ALL of my classes; especially this week. I had a test in each of my classes around the same time. I was stressed because they all are demanding and require different study techniques.
As a psych major, tests aren’t definitional (meaning questions aren’t shaped around knowing a definition), you have to apply a certain vocabulary word to different situations and problems. In my Biology class, it’s all about knowing what does what and how it functions and what it requires to function.
Going back to the tests, once I found out all my tests were crowded together I immediately came up with a plan. I labeled my classes by level of importance. My Biology test was first so I need to see what I knew and what I needed to brush up on. I started studying for Bio a week prior to the test. We were being tested over 5 chapters worth of material. (Yeah, major headache!) Every day leading up to the test (which was on a Friday) I took time to study for all my classes. The night before the bio test, I locked myself in my room, muted my TV, silenced my phone and buried my head in the book. Yes, it was difficult because I really wanted to sleep and watch TV but I knew that passing this class was more important. I took several short five min breaks in between studying to breathe and gather my thoughts.
Friday came and I was ready to ace this test! I knew most of the material we covered in class but some I was still confused on. When I received my test I read through it to see what kind of questions was being asked. I was finally able to exhale; the test was easier than I thought. Yes, a few questions stumped me, only because I believed two of the answers to be correct. I felt real confident that I made a good grade.
Saturday evening I began studying for my psych stats class when I decided to take a break and check Angel. I looked under my Bio class (checking to see if my clicker points went through) and that’s when I saw my grade……I was EXSTATIC! I had made an 85! My studying had paid off! I was instantly motivated to study harder for my stats test.
The same process I did studying for Biology, is the same one I did studying for my stats and applications class. When I got into class to take the tests I wasn’t stressed anymore because I had faith in myself and knew the material.
To sum it all up, don’t stress when it comes to tests. Prioritize your time, gather all notes/study guides etc. and study your butt off! If you don’t understand the positive side of the concept, try to understand the negative. (trust me this helps!) If you’re religious, pray or do whatever it is that you do; meditate if needed. Even if you don’t receive the grade you want, reward yourself for studying hard. Most importantly, NEVER give up on yourself or doubt yourself. You can do everything you set your mind to do. You will succeed!
