Flashcards and Quizlet and Notes, Oh My!–Studying Methods to Consider This Year

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Breanna English studying from her textbook for a future Biology exam (photo: Sara Monterroso)

Domenica Esparza

Achieving the perfect grade can be difficult at times. It can be challenging to find that perfect studying method for you, There are many different studying techniques used by fellow students here at Montgomery College that can be valuable to you!

Breanna English studying from her textbook for a future Biology exam (photo: Sara Monterroso)
Breanna English studying from her textbook for a future Biology exam (photo: Sara Monterroso)

Katherine, a life science major, finds it helpful to use Quizlet.com to insert important vocabulary she needs to review. She uses graded quizzes and review problems from the textbook for the extra practice, as well. This is a really great idea if you need a way to study for math courses. “Cramming may seem like a good idea test time, but for the finals all the material learned while cramming won’t be easily accessed,” said Katherine.

Tarinee, a hospitality and management major, finds using physical flashcards to be the most effective for her when studying. This method is useful to test if you really know a concept or vocabulary word. Flashcards are inexpensive and easy to carry around with you, so you can test yourself while you are eating breakfast or when you have a break in-between classes. She wants you to remember this method is especially useful when studying with friends because it makes it easy to test each other. Tarinee’s tip is to focus on what you truly don’t know and review that until you understand.

Giselle, a nursing major, uses kahoot.it to study. She explains that it’s a website that you can study from by connecting your phone and playing with other people in your class. She uses this for many of her subjects. Giselle recommends to listen to professors carefully when they mention that something is crucial because it will most likely be on the exam.

Andrea, a general studies major, likes to “…go back into the chapter of the book we are working on and take notes on what is important and write it all in my notebook. I use different color pens for different topics it helps me differentiate topics.” She finds the act of writing down notes useful to help her memorize what she is learning. Andrea recommends going to professor’s during office hours to get further explanation on what you don’t understand.

Caitlin, also a general studies major, makes review guides for herself to study for exams. She starts of by defining major key terms and then answers study objects from her professors powerpoint’s or textbook. To make sure she is understanding what she is studying, Caitlin asks a friend or family member to verbally test her what is on the review guide. If she doesn’t answer correctly, she knows she has to go back and review again. This method can be used for ANY subject!

Montgomery College also has a tutoring center that is available to help students with writing, math, science or any subject. Seeking this help does not cost you a thing and can be beneficial to getting a good grade.

Remember, to do well on an exam, you must start reviewing consecutively beforehand. Not the night before! This way, the information will stick to you. Use one of the studying methods bolded above and success will be within your reach.