Eliminate the unhelpful distractions - Sometimes a little background noise isn’t a bad thing. The hums of a conversation or a calm, low-fi beat can actually improve our focus.
Take notes in the way you like to learn - No matter how you prefer to gather information, structure your notes in the same way. If visuals improve what you remember, drop images into your notes to help you later on.
Embrace the break - When you’re feeling the pressure of a test, it can be tempting to lock yourself in a room for hours on end to review your notes—but that might not be the best move.
Unlock your brain by beating The Forgetting Curve - Don’t count on your brain to remember everything in one lecture or one study session; plan to regularly and frequently review what you need to know for the exam.
Use your outside resources - You don’t have to do this solo, even if you’ve got your notes ready and study guides prepped. There are lots of resources, on and off-campus, that you can use to help you plan for your exam.
Change up your note-taking techniques - For the last tip, it’s back to the basics. There are a couple of things that can make your notes work better for you:
Start practicing your shorthand - it can be hard to keep up with a speaker in a lecture. Instead of trying to type out every word perfectly, try using some shorthand combinations to replace longer vocabulary.
Keep a section for big ideas - Keep a section open for bullet points on big ideas. Collect the recurring themes or big ideas from the lecture in one space so you can review them at a glance.
Become the artist of your own notebook - Whether you prefer color coding or doodles, the way you format your notes can impact how well you retain them.