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Spaced repetition

By spacing out your studying, you give your brain time to condense information into
meaningful memories that remain in you brain a lot longer.
Practice testing
Being able to objectively measure your abilities in a particular subject is
invaluable. I would work through a practie test, then go back and write down the
topic of every question I missed or guessed on. Those were the subjects that I
studied more frequently and intensively until I understood them just as well.
Unprompted recall
For vocab-heavy classes like my Medical Terminology class, I would read through
the vocab list a couple times, then try to recall as many words from memory as I
could without prompting myself by looking at the list. I then added to the list any
words I had forgotten and corrected any definitions I got wrong.
Color-coding notes
I only stuck with this for the first half of the term, since it was so time-consuming
to reqrite my notes, but for those first few weeks, color-coding my notes as I
rewrote them really helping information retention and recall.
Studying my hardest subjects at night
I usually did this by accident, because I would put off studying, then had to do the
homework for those harder classes first. Then I would get really tired and go to
bed, but I ended up remembering those topics significantly better than the ones I
studied in the morning, when I had all day to forget them and be distracted. By
studying the hardest material before bed, your brain goes to sleep with that
material fresh, so more of it will be processed into long-term memory as you sleep.

What I need to work on


Doing my assignments ahead of time
This is more of a time-management issue, but also goes along with procrastination,
which I do a lot. I'm trying to build in some library time specifically for completing
assignments to combat this.
Studying for finals before Dead Week and Finals Week
I left the majority of my studying until the last minute, and then I was scrambling
to remember Organic Chemistry mechanisms from Week 3.
Going to class and taking better notes.
I'm currently exploring a couple different note-taking systems to see which one is
most effective for my learning. Going to class is half the battle for me, so I'm
trying to make it more of a habit.
Spaced repetition
Yes, I know I said this was something that I did well last term. But I still need to
work on it. I'm going to try incorporating 15 minutes of review material into every

hour of studying to help space out the review (instead of trying to remember
everything the night before the exam!)
Beating procrastination
UGH. Procrastination and I have an all-out war going on pretty much all of the
time. I'm trying a couple tricks from Robin Sharma (recommended by Sanam) to
increase my willpower to overcome procrastination (I'll keep ya posted).
And with that, my 4.0 GPA Challenge is on! Classes start today, so I say BRING IT
ON

1. Read class notes before bed


The first way you can increase your grades is by reading your class notes every night before
you fall asleep. Studies have shown that the brain takes the most recent memories of the day
and stores them in long term memory. This means that you will have a better chance of
recalling your notes if you study them a little before bed each night. If reading all of your
notes before bed is too big of a task, just try going over the last lecture notes in each class
every night.

2. Study in advance
I am a firm believer in the power of studying in advance. This is one thing that always helps
me to do better on my exams. Whether its the hardest test of the year, finals, or whatever, this
technique never fails. My favorite thing about studying in advance is that it helps me to
become familiar with the notes so that I can avoid late night cramming when the test comes.
This girl is not a night person! Studying in advance also really helps to eliminate stress.
Related: How to Survive and Thrive During Finals Week

3. Be productive when studying


When you start studying, you need to make sure that you are actually being productive with
your time. Make sure that you are paying attention to what you are reading. Try to keep your
phone out of sight and out of mind. Turning your phone on moon mode will really help with
this. Remember that everyones brain works differently, so, be sure that you are using study
techniques and tools that help you. Dont just study one way because thats how everyone else
does it. Study in whatever way works best for you.

4. Wake up early and make a plan


I know this one is a little painful for those of you who are not morning people, but try waking
up fifteen minutes earlier to go through your plan for the day. You can make a list of things
you need to do, look over notes, check your emails, etc. Waking up early and making a plan
will help you feel more prepared for the day ahead which will then lead to more effective
classes, studying, and better test grades.

5. Recite notes out loud

Studies show that reciting your notes out loud helps you to retain more information. Who am I
to argue with science right? So next time you study, try reciting your notes out loud. If it
appears to help you, then keep it up for future studying!
I hope you these daily grade-boosting habits help you through your classes. Youve got this,
girl!
Find out about extra credit opportunities. Not all classes have them, but if they do
itll likely be in the syllabus. Know about them early so you can get them out of
the way before the stress of the semester starts to build up. And if there are
none, it doesnt hurt to go to office hours and ask anyways. Its good to ask early
so that it looks like youre just trying to get the most out of your class experience
as possible, rather than it being a last ditch effort to save your grade.

. Here are 20 secret habits grade A students have that you need to try:

1. Theyre organized.
2. They do the extra credit, even when they dont need to
3. They arent afraid to ask for help.
4. They argue their grades if they feel they deserved a better one.
5. They have a specific time dedicated to studying and homework.
6. They study even when there isnt a test yet.
7. They budget their time.
8. They actually do the reading.

9. They put school over their social life.


10. They have goals that theyre working towards.
11. They make to-do lists.

12. They take notes and read them over.


13. They create their own study habits that they stick to making test questions, using
flashcards, having a study buddy, etc.
14. They make note of the things they dont understand.
15. They do the work when its assigned.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

They
They
They
They
They

give themselves study breaks.


write everything down.
wake up early.
study in the right places.
practice positive thinking.

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