The 2024 school year is well underway as we now approach the fourth week of classes being in session. Students are gearing up as the first wave of exams are right around the corner. It can be incredibly easy to become overwhelmed or stressed out with all the pressures that coincide with being a college student, however, there are certain tips and tricks that you can implement into your daily routine that will make passing these exams that much easier.
The first step that you will want to take is to set realistic goals and expectations for yourself, regarding what you want to achieve. Whether this goal is to score highly on an exam or to set aside at least five hours throughout the week for studying. It is incredibly important that you set these goals for yourself so that you can hold yourself accountable and have something to strive for. As the famed American Philosopher Alfred A. Montapert once stated, “to accomplish great things we must first dream, then visualize, then plan… believe… act.” This same mindset can be applied towards healthy study habits highlighting the importance of visualizing and bringing an objective to fruition.
Alongside setting realistic and attainable goals, it is equally as important to hold yourself accountable to these goals and take proactive action to achieve them. I had the chance to interview third-year student Alexander Benjamin Howard who has excelled during his time at UND. Howard reflected on what worked for him preparing for exams. “Each semester, I pay special attention to reading through the course syllabus to become familiar with all of the content that is expected to be covered on the exam,” Howard said. Healso spoke on the importance of utilizing available resources such as “textbooks and checking in with the professor during office hours.” Howard mentioned that these tactics have played a huge role in his recent academic success.
Some other study habits that have proved to be effective, including finding a safe and quiet study environment that suits your needs. Everybody is different and personal preferences vary. Personally, I have always found public spaces within the Memorial Union or Chester Fritz Library that function as great places to get work done. The right study space should be devout of distractions and should be a comfortable setting that encourages getting work done. By having a set space in which you can study for your exams, it makes it that much easier to set a routine in which you can plan to return to your study space and proactively prepare for your exams.
Learning to avoid procrastination is a skill that all students, new or returning, should adhere to. Giving into habits of procrastination, you are more likely to experience academic stress. Part of the reason it is so important to establish a routine and stay on top of your schedule is because if you are not proactive, you can easily fall behind. This makes the tasks of preparing for numerous exams close to impossible without becoming a burden on your social life, as well as your mental health.
Although these are all useful tips and tricks that have helped both me and countless other college students succeed and overcome the rigorous challenges that coincide with college level courses, it comes down to finding what works for you and holding yourself accountable so that you can attain and achieve your academic goals throughout the semester.
Daniel Silva is a Dakota Student General Reporter. He can be reached at [email protected].
