Study smarter, not harder

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So its coming up to the pointy end of the year - and that unfortunately means assignments and exams! BUT YOU CAN do it smarter, not harder.

Here’s some tips:

  1. what did your lecturer say was going to be in the exam? Focus on those topics only;

  2. limit your cramming (because who wants to do that anyway!?);

  3. change up your study location (and help out your local café at the same time);

  4. start studying early; and 

  5. write a study plan which includes rewarding yourself with social events and exercise.

During the HSC and all of my uni exams, I never left it to the last minute to study, and so by adopting a constant learning approach, I managed to avoid all night study sessions (yuck). Instead, on a typical day, I would study for a few hours in the morning, go to the gym, have lunch, then study for a few more hours in the afternoon and finish by dinner time. I wouldn't do any study after dinner - I felt that gave me better sleep quality because I wasn't flooding my brain with information (and stress) before bed. My study for law would primarily involve writing notes to take into the exam, summarising cases, and preparing the ultimate model answers for exam questions (see my model answer blog posts for more info).  

By doing this, I really wasn't nervous when it came to exam time - I was prepared, well-rested and level headed. Putting in the hard yards early and no late nights required = a smart way to study.