An important step in managing your course load happens very early, typically at the very beginning. This is usually when the course outline will be handed out and explained, and it often tells you how you are going to be assessed. This will let you determine how much time you will need to spend studying, writing papers, and so on. You should think about this carefully to decide how much time you will have left for other activities: other classes, hobbies, or work.  If you take on too much, it will before impossible to do well. Sometimes you can do courses at later times, and this can help you balance your work. Other times you may simply have to set priorities and do less overall. The main idea is that if you take on too much work, you may fail at all of it: successful management means only doing the amount of work you can do successfully.

How do you manage your workload?

“Cramming” means trying to study a lot of material the night before an exam.  But trying to remember everything an hour before a test is almost impossible: so cramming is not a good idea. Instead, a better alternative is to study or take in little by little at a time. Many  courses  cover a huge amount of information, so you need a longer amount of time to review it all. Studying a week before the exam is usually a good strategy. It’s never too early to start studying. You can begin by reviewing the textbook and then your notes; then, you can think of potential exam questions and formulate study notes. On the study notes, summarize all of the key definitions, concepts and integrate examples. Highlight anything that you don’t understand and ask your teacher early. Don’t wait until the day before the exam to do this, because your teacher will be reluctant to help you then.  Studying early will help you with consolidating the material into your memory better and leave enough time for questions.

How do you prepare for tests/exams?

Teachers often use illustrations or notes on a blackboard or project to present core concepts. But just copying those may not be enough for future study purposes. When taking notes, it’s a good idea to highlight key concepts, write down a couple of examples that the teacher provides, even if they just say them and not write them, and even try to think of some examples on your own. Before class it’s important to read the assigned textbook chapters; although you may not fully understand the reading, it’s still good to read it because you can ask questions during class, or concepts that you don’t understand, may be clarified  as the teacher talks about them. Since you’ve already done the reading, during class, you can focus on listening to the teacher and perhaps not have to write so many notes, because you will already have a basic idea of the material. Shortly after class, it’s a good idea to spend approximately 30 minutes to review notes while they are still fresh in your mind. As you are reviewing your notes, think about any linkages that you can make between the textbook readings and the class.

What are your thoughts for good studying strategies?