Memorizing textbooks is an outdated form of study. You could spend hours and hours on trying to memorize everything before your exam, but the result will not be very promising. Thankfully, there are so many rewarding, yet fun study techniques that can help you improve your exam results. We rounded up the best study techniques. Most of these techniques try to make learning easier for you, but still require you to step-up your effort.

Relaxed Environment

The truth is that when you take a test, your mind takes you back to the last time you studied. So, make sure you are not stressed the day before your exam. Plus, stress and depression can reduce your learning power. In mild cases, depression can be improved simply by eating healthier food and exposing yourself to more white light. Did you know that yoga relieves stress and anxiety. Don’t skip the breakfast. Lack of protein can actually cause headaches, which is definitely not what you want before your exam.

Underlining

This is one of the most popular study tips among the students. It is easy to highlight the key parts of what you are reading. Before underlining anything, you should do a comprehensive read of your text. Only on the second reading you should proceed to underlining. If you want to learn the key aspects, don’t highlight the entire book, but the a sentence or few important phrases here and there.

Study Notes

The aim of taking notes is to summarize articles or lectures in your own words so you can easily remember the ideas. The idea is to summarize the content quickly without leaving out any key info. When creating your notes, you can do it the traditional way using pen and paper or you can use an online tool.

Case Studies

Sometimes you can find some difficulties to grasp the implications of some theories. Case studies can be a big help, and are especially useful in law and business subjects, as they can help you visualize a theory and place it in a more realistic and familiar context.

Mind Mapping

A mind map can save you many hours of study, and consolidate your knowledge for your exams. They can be used for general exam preparation, study topics, outlining essays and brainstorming.

Quizzes

You can use the quiz method to review your study notes in the weeks and days before your exams. This is the best method to see where your weaknesses and strengths are, so it allows you to focus your efforts more precisely. You can share your quiz with your classmate to discover even more areas you may have overlooked. It is of a great importance to create and share a bunch of quizzes with your friends before any exam.

Brainstorming

This technique is ideal for studying with your classmates or friends. It is a perfect way to expand every possible idea out of any topic. You can gather up two or three classmates at your home and shoot the breeze, there are not wrong answers – just talk and write down all of the ideas, and review them latter.

Flashcards

This is an effective method for learning when trying to assimilate different formulas, dates, facts or vocabulary. You can use flashcards for subjects like Geography, Chemistry, Maths, Physics or History. Flashcards can make these subjects fun. If you don’t have time to make your own Flashcard decks, you can find them online.

Drawing

Many adults and kids find it easier to recall images rather than text. Nowadays, there are so many tolls that allow you to add images and help you memorize everything much more easier. Choose one of the mentioned tolls and learn how to incorporate it into your study.