8 Study Tips To Prepare for a Test

Study Tips

Interested in getting a better grade on every single test that you take? I bet you didn't know that when you sit down to study, there are actually study tips that can help you make the most of your time. Oh. You did know? Well, good. Perhaps that's why you're on this page! You wanted to learn more about these eight study tips so you can learn the test information faster, stay focused longer, and get a score that's higher than you'd get going it alone.

Take a peek at the following study tips to get ready for the next test you take in school. 

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Focus On Studying

So, you sit down to study and you can't seem to keep your mind on your work, huh? Relax. This article has you covered because it has the tricks and tips to keep you on the right track. Read here for concrete ways to fix your wandering attention and stay focused on Napoleon's conquests, the Pythagorean Theorem, your multiplication tables, or whatever else it is you're supposed to be learning.

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Study Smart For Any Test

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Getty Images | Tara Moore

Got a multiple-choice test coming up? An essay exam? The Redesigned SAT? Need to know how to cram for your test in an hour? A few hours? A few days? Check out this list for study skills tips related to major tests, minor tests, and every single one of those tests and quizzes in between.

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Study In One of These 10 Places

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Getty Images | Fotografias Rodolfo Velasco

Okay. We all know that studying in the middle of a hockey game is probably not ideal. So, where is a good place to park it, get out your notes, and learn some material? This study skills tip describes ten great places to learn a little bit about something new. Nope, your great-aunt's funeral is not one of them, but we can understand why you're tempted.

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Listen To Music Designed For Studying

classical sheet music

Theorists argue about the efficacy of playing music while studying, but every good student knows that absolute quiet can sometimes send you flying off the nearest balcony. Check here for twenty-five lyric-free tunes sure to get you through your next study session, (and safely to your next class.) There are also links to study music spots on Pandora and Spotify, too. 

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Avoid The Top 7 Study Distractions

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Getty Images

This study skills tip is invaluable because it lets you know which distractions to watch out for before you pick up your notes. Here, you'll find five internal distractions and five external distractions with quick, easy fixes, so you can be at the top of your game when you learn the test material.

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Use Mnemonic Devices

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Getty Images | Walker and Walker

Roy G. Biv is not your crazy cousin's new boyfriend. It's an acronym used by school kids to remember the colors of the rainbow (although the "indigo" and "violet" colors are often replaced by purple). But that's beside the point. Using an acronym, one of many mnemonic devices, to remember something is smart! Mnemonic devices can aid your memory when you're trying to cram famous battles, scientific formulas, and dead poets' last words into your brain before a test. This article gives you a few more.

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Eat Brain Food To Boost Memory

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Getty Images | Dean Belcher

Nope. Pizza doesn't qualify as brain food. 

No one's claiming that the choline inside of an egg will get you testing into the 98th percentile on the SAT. But it can't hurt, right? An egg is just one of the foods your body uses to pump up the brain (in a good, non-habit-forming way.) See here for more brain foods proven to boost memory, enhance brain function, and make you less hungry. 

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Find Time to Study

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Time management is tough. No one knows that more than a student! If you're trying to fit study time into your busy life, while maintaining your health, happiness, and the programs patiently waiting on your DVR, then this study skills tip will truly help you out. Here, you'll learn how to get rid of time drains, schedule study time, and actually have some time left for a little fun. 

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Your Citation
Roell, Kelly. "8 Study Tips To Prepare for a Test." ThoughtCo, Aug. 26, 2020, thoughtco.com/study-skills-tips-3211507. Roell, Kelly. (2020, August 26). 8 Study Tips To Prepare for a Test. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/study-skills-tips-3211507 Roell, Kelly. "8 Study Tips To Prepare for a Test." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/study-skills-tips-3211507 (accessed May 30, 2023).