How to Beat the System.. and the Exam

Exams. My worst enemy.

Honestly I don’t even mind actually taking an exam, it’s the preparation and studying for the aforementioned exam that cultivates self-doubt, worry, panic, anger, and pretty much every other emotion associated with anxiety. I never know what to study or when to stop studying. I never feel like I’ve done enough. Which led me to my question.. Could science help me be a more effective studier?

Martyn Denscombe attributes exam stress to four reasons: concern about the outcome’s effect one’s life, low self-esteem, fear of judgment, and fear of disappointing. This added stress could cause a multitude of problems during not only the exam itself but also during the preparation for it.

One of the most substantial ways to reduce exam anxiety is to SLEEP. Researchers at UCLA found that decreased hours asleep lead to an increase in learning problems the next day. Also research from nutritional biochemist Shawn Talbott shows that when one sleeps 6 hours rather than the recommended 8, cortisol’s (the stress hormone) presence in the blood stream goes up by 50%.

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In her article, “22 Science-Backed Study Tips to Ace a Test”, Shana Lebowitz combines several studies, offering a multitude of study tips to her readers.

Her first piece of information states that studying when tired has many benefits. Studies show that our brain retains and strengthens memories during our sleep cycle. By studying before going to sleep, there is an increased chance that one will better retain what they just reviewed.

Lebowitz also sites a Harvard Magazine article. Both article’s describe a study technique called “spaced repetition”. This utilizes reviewing small, categorized sections of study material for long periods of time before moving on to the next segment. Studies on this new way of thinking has shown improved retention rates and increased knowledge in medical students and residents.

Another study technique offered by Lebowitz suggests regularly changing your environment when studying. Research shows that we are able to better retain information studied in different locations because our brains affiliate the information to a multitude of environments.

There are also simple steps you could take to be a more effective studier. Writing things out, saying things aloud, and repeatedly quizzing yourself have all proven to have major benefits regarding memory and recognition.

Whatever study technique you decide to try, it is also important to remember that exams are not everything. In my own life, I inflict a lot of my own exam stress. I often put added pressure on myself, which tends to psych me out before a big exam. Exams are only one part of college; as long as you are well prepared and try your best the rest will come easy!

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9 thoughts on “How to Beat the System.. and the Exam

  1. dcd5251

    What you want the link to say
    For me being a freshman, right when I saw the title of this post I wanted to read more. In high school, I thought that tests were pretty easy, because the information that was being tested on wasn’t too much. I could study the night before or two nights before and still get a good grade. Coming to Penn State, I am not yet used to taking tests that have to do with so much information and are so important to our grades. As I continued to read, I realized that the tips you were giving could help me in the coming weeks as I begin to have my own exams. I thought it was really interesting how the brain can retain more information when it is tired, even though that doesn’t totally make sense to me. All my life my parents, coaches, and teachers have always said that sleep is a large key to doing well. The night before the SAT I would be in bed by 10 o’clock, but does that really help? The link below talks about scientists linking sleep to higher test scores.
    Here

  2. dcd5251

    For me being a freshman, right when I saw the title of this post I wanted to read more. In high school, I thought that tests were pretty easy, because the information that was being tested on wasn’t too much. I could study the night before or two nights before and still get a good grade. Coming to Penn State, I am not yet used to taking tests that have to do with so much information and are so important to our grades. As I continued to read, I realized that the tips you were giving could help me in the coming weeks as I begin to have my own exams. I thought it was really interesting how the brain can retain more information when it is tired, even though that doesn’t totally make sense to me. All my life my parents, coaches, and teachers have always said that sleep is a large key to doing well. The night before the SAT I would be in bed by 10 o’clock, but does that really help? The link below talks about scientists linking sleep to higher test scores.
    Sleep and Test Scores

  3. rlw5445

    As students our entire academic careers have been centered around exams. Every day in class not spent taking exams is teaching material to prepare you for exams. Whether or not is is standardized testing or chapter tests, everything we learn serves the purpose to have the ability to be tested on later. I for one am someone who gets very nervous the days leading up to an exam. No matter the amount of preparation I have or have not done my overall attitude towards the exam is always the same. I end up seconding guessing everything I have learned and wondering if I prepared enough. Once that test is submitted the agonizing wait to find out your grade is upon you. This may almost revival the anxiousness I feel prior to the exam. No matter how many exams I take this cycle is always the same. The tips you gave in your post I will truly try out in the upcoming week as I have two exams.

  4. Kacey Elizabeth Gill

    This post was extremely relatable for me. Studying has always been one of my biggest struggles. I am constantly afraid that when I sit down in front of the test all of the information I studied is just going to leave my brain. I liked many of the tips you mentioned because I do already use a lot of them and I find them very helpful. I am most definitely a late night studier and a crammer and my mom would always come in my room at midnight and tell me to stop studying so I found it interesting that late night studying has actually shown to be effective. Adding to that, I think it would be interesting if you looked to see if there has been any studies done that test how well students performed on an exam when half of them crammed the night before and when the other half had multiple days of study time. Overall, I really liked your post and am definitely going to take your advice to take the stress out of the exam process.

  5. Salvatore Mattioli

    Very insightful and relevant post! I agree that people do worry too much for their own good. Many students spend more time and energy on panicking than actually trying to study and learn properly. It’s a shame what some students resort to from stress (i.e. excessive drinking, drug use, depression, suicide). Thankfully, Andrew agrees with this viewpoint and purposely designed the course to minimize this effect on students by reducing test pressure and allowing multiple chances to improve your grade as you improve your learning capabilities. Students should utilize your studying tips and these tips provided in this article to reduce stress and relax under pressure. http://www.everydayhealth.com/college-health/college-life-10-ways-to-reduce-stress.aspx

  6. Jackson Grey Hope

    Exams always cause me to grow anxious, nervous, and make me lose sleep. This is interesting the point you bring up about sleep. In my psychology class, I learned that if we study when we are tired it is basically as good as nothing because no information is getting processed into the hippocampus which is what affects are ability to remember. With sleep, the hippocampus recovers and allows us to encode the information we study.

  7. Kyle Thomas Finnerty

    I totally agree with you that taking an exam isn’t that bad, it’s the self-doubt that goes on while your studying that is the most frustrating. I constantly get stressed out over exams and probably don’t get near enough sleep. I found it really interesting that one researcher found that studying during a sleep cycle or right before bed can actually really help one retain information. I am also going to start trying out the suggestion of studying specific material for shorter lengths of time but more often leading up to exam. Lots of great tips in this blog post!

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-robert-oexman/all-nighters_b_1501263.html

  8. mld5569

    The title of your post caught my eye because I hate exams. Unlike studying, the worst part for me is always taking the exam. I always second guess myself and end up changing my answers at the last minute. When I was in high school I never had to study. I just reviewed my notes the class period before and I was fine when it came time to take the test. I am currently a freshman at Penn State and I’ve had a lot of trouble trying to come up with good study habits and I usually end up staying up late the night before reviewing my notes and stressing out. I would usually just give up once I got tired. I found it interesting that you said changing your study environment could actually help you retain the information better because I usually stay in the same place every time I need to study for an exam.

  9. Mackenzie French

    Exams are my worst enemy as well so I found your post interesting and thought I’d comment. A big issue of mine is procrastination, which adds to the anxiety I encounter before a test. Although I begin studying a couple nights before my exams, I always study the most the night before. I don’t think studying the night before is very beneficial because that is when I am stressed out the most, and when I am stressed I can’t study in a relaxed mood. I found it interesting that it is said to study when you are tired since your brain can supposedly retain more information well. I was always told to not study when I am tired and to go to bed and wake up early. I am now going to try a couple of those methods you listed since I am looking for a more effective way to study, so thanks!

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