Tackle exam season with these science-backed study strategies

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Key points

• Studies show that visual representations, mnemonics, handwritten notes, and association techniques can help us remember more information when studying.
• Everyone is different, so you may need to test out a few study techniques to find what works best for you.

Exam season is one of the most stressful parts of student life. Studying for multiple exams within the same week and trying to juggle your social life or family responsibilities, all the while staying fed and showered, can be super challenging.

If you find yourself getting distracted, science-backed strategies can help you study effectively and “work smarter, not harder.” Remember that everybody is different, so what works for your friend or a classmate might not work for you. It’s best to start studying well before an exam so you can try a few techniques to find what works best for you.

Remember that every strategy for getting good grades should include getting enough sleep, eating well, and taking mental health breaks. Happy studies!

Helpful for: multiple-choice exams, essay exams, memorizing written material, understanding concepts 

Use a visual representation of information—like a chart, table, Venn diagram, timeline, or flowchart—to understand and remember key points. Concept maps help illustrate the relationship between different concepts and ideas. It sounds complicated, but it’s pretty simple—see this example of a concept map related to trees. 

1. To draw a concept map, pick a concept your professor has often discussed in class. 
2. Then, organize your chart by linking as many ideas as you remember to your chosen concept. 
3. Finally, read through your notes and other class material to add any relevant information you might have forgotten. 

Helpful for: multiple-choice exams, memorizing written material (especially specific dates or definitions)

Flash cards help you practice retrieving information and encourage studying information multiple times, both of which “are universally effective techniques” for memorizing things like facts, definitions, and dates, says Toshima Miyatsu, a research scientist at the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition in Pensacola, Florida. 

Flash cards are also great because you can carry them with you or use an electronic version to study on the go. 

1. Use small note cards and write a keyword or a short question on one side and the definition or answer on the other. 
2. Look at only the “question” side and try to retrieve the answer without looking at the back (but, of course, the answer is there for easy reference if needed).
3. Repeat as often as possible! Even just a few minutes while waiting for your bus can be enough to fit in some flash card review.

Helpful for: memorizing written material, studying complex or abstract concepts

Mnemonics are tools or techniques that help you remember information, often using visuals, acronyms, rhymes, words, or songs. If you’re creative or musical, recall with association might be perfect for you. Some research studies confirm the benefit of recall with association and show that it can make learning easier.

Helpful for: oral examination, studying complex or abstract concepts

This is a simple but effective method to practice information retrieval and make concepts stick in your mind before an exam or oral presentation.

1. Pretend to be the teacher and discuss the material aloud as if you were giving the class. 
2. Whenever you get stuck on a topic or don’t feel confident in what you’re “teaching,” make a note of it. 
3. Read up on it later, jot down a couple of notes, and try to give a lesson out loud again.
4. If you’ve got a study buddy, get them to ask questions to challenge your learning and see how thorough your responses are.

Helpful for: multiple-choice, memorizing written material, studying complex or abstract concepts

Summing up all the information into a single page forces you to think about what the most relevant concepts and ideas are. This is beneficial because students who practice summarizing notes tend to have better grades than those who don’t.  Some professors even allow a single summary sheet during the exam—if that’s the case, definitely take them up on it.

1. Sum up all your study material for the course on one sheet. To make the most out of your cheat sheet, make sure it’s handwritten. The science is clear: Handwriting is better for memory retention than typing.
2. Look over it frequently. Focus on one section at a time or highlight key information to remember.

You need good sleep for optimal cognitive performance—and that means on a regular basis, not just the night before the big exam. 

“For those who have trouble studying and focusing, I recommend optimizing sleep,” says Miyatsu. “First, as many of you know, good sleep leads to better focus and motivation. Lesser known is the fact that good sleep after learning is crucial to ‘make the memory stick.’ While asleep, your brain engages in consolidation, where neurons ‘replay’ what we learned that day, resulting in strengthening of the learned information.”