Studying tips

Straight from the mouth and minds of our students!

By Katie Czenczek, Staff Writer

Whether it was because you were staring at the sunshine outside or at the guy flicking dandruff all over your binder, staying focused at school is tough, and you might need help getting back into study mode. With exams coming in less than a month, it can seem daunting to get back into the groove, especially when you have a final worth 40 per cent of your grade.

In order to help you return from your daze, I have compiled a list of study tips from your fellow Douglas College students to help you out. Note: We at the Other Press do not guarantee that these tips and tricks will get you that solid A+ you’ve been dreaming about, so please use with caution, and don’t come crying to us if it backfires. Tears make everything socially awkward.

In an interview with the Other Press, Douglas College student Gagan Grewal stated that you’re already behind if you’re only starting to study now.

“You need to start studying on the first day. Keep up with the quizzes and readings and you’ll be fine when the exam comes around,” she said.

Grewal also explained why getting started early was the best option, “Don’t cram! You won’t be able to ask professors questions about the things you are unsure about if you do it at the last minute. That is my strategy.”

However, to all of those crammers out there, Mariia Spatar had different advice.

“I don’t prepare; I just hope for the best. Usually I try to read, but if I don’t have the time I just guess. You have to be able to make educated guesses from time to time.”

Seongbin Moon gave a happy medium to bridge the two suggestions as he explained, “Well, normally I only prepare for midterms and finals two weeks before.”

When asked what kinds of strategies he used to prepare for exams, Moon said, “You can’t do too much for math and science courses aside from practicing. So I use the study guideline handouts, homework assignments, and such. Sometimes I even do practice exams profs post on Blackboard.”

As far as group study sessions go, Loudeen Grewal, Kiranjeet Nagi, and Simran Bola have you covered.

Nagi recommended studying with other people because then “you can explain things to each other, to get help with doubts about questions.”

Bola echoed this, giving a strategy for compiling notes together.

“We compare our notes with each other’s, and then go onto the lecture notes. It helps us to not miss anything.”

I asked the girls if they ever get distracted when working together, to which they laughed before Bola admitted, “Yeah, sometimes we start gossiping and then it takes too long.”

One other suggestion is to practice active memory retention strategies. Something as simple as chewing gum at home while you’re studying and again while you’re taking your exam can be enough to help you retain information.

Well, there you have it, folks! Some studying tips from your fellow classmates. Good luck with your finals and get to studying!