Spring is right around the corner and while you may be ready for some warmer weather, are you ready for the large amount of tests that are coming up? Here are 6 spring study tips that will allow you to enjoy the warm weather and prepare for your exams

1. Don’t cram.

You’ve heard this 100 times before, I know, but really, don’t do it. Cramming not only puts extra stress on your brain due to you literally cramming information inside of it, but it normally happens late at night with a couple cups of coffee on hand. Not only is this super unhealthy, but you’ll be exhausted for the actual test, leaving you prone to make stupid mistakes or forget key information. Also your brain isn’t able to retain information that is crammed for a long amount of time. So chances are if you studied something at 4 in the morning, by the time you take the test, the information will have already been long gone.

1. Take Breaks.

Studies have shown that studying for long periods of time without taking any breaks is way less effective than studying in short sessions with frequent breaks. Your brain can only handle so much information about chemistry before everything gets boring and you start daydreaming instead of reading your textbook. To make studying more effective, study for 30 minutes and then take a 10 minute break to watch a video, listen to a song, or take a walk outside.

1. Switch it up.

Again, studying while your bored doesn’t do you any good. So if you start to get tired of looking over biology switch to a different subject. Even if you don’t have a test or a quiz in the subject you switched to its always a good idea to review your notes.

1. Study Daily.

So you don’t end up cramming the night before a big test take a small amount of time everyday the week leading up to the exam to study. You don’t have to study for long. Anywhere from 5-10 minutes should do the trick, or you could break up the unit and study a different lesson everyday. This will make it easier to  review everything the night before because you will have already reviewed most of the material and just have to make sure that you have got it down.

1. Make it a Game.

Many of us think of studying as a chore or a punishment but if you change your mindset, it can make you more motivated to study and can improve the benefits of studying. Try using an app like Kahoot or Quizlet to make studying more fun or make up your own game to review the material. 

6. Practice, Practice, Practice!

This is especially true for any test with math on it. Make sure you practice the possible questions that could be on the test. Ask your teacher for some extra practice or find a worksheet online that is related to what you are studying.

With these study tips on hand, you’ll be sure to ace every test that comes your way and still be able to go out and get some fresh air!