As the school year comes to an end, AP exams are near. Now, it’s time to use this time wisely and think about ways to prepare to succeed on the AP exams. Here are the 10 top ways to help you prepare for testing season.
- Reward Yourself
Rewarding yourself after studying for hours helps keep motivation high. This rewarding system strategy works for so many because it releases dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the brain that acts as a reward center, motivating us pursue our goals. When you know there is a reward, your brain looks forward to and continues to work. Rewards are also good as it doesn’t make studying so boring, and they balance out the study time. Some rewards are getting to play games, scrolling on social media, or, if you’re reading, you can mark pages you want to reach before getting to eat one or two pieces of your favorite candy.
- Eat Well Before Your Test
Eating a healthy meal before a test helps fuel your brain and maintain your energy. When you skip a meal, it’s hard to concentrate, especially if the exam is four hours long. Eating well clears and prepares your brain for that long day and that upcoming test. You should eat lots of protein and healthy fats to keep your energy up. Fueling your body will fuel your brain, making you feel extra ready to take on this test. A great balanced breakfast is scrambled eggs, avocado toast, fresh fruit and vegetables of your choice.
- Get Good Sleep
Being well rested is essential, as it improves your memory and learning. Without enough sleep, the brain will struggle to process new information. You need at least 7-9 hours of quality sleep. Proper sleep allows you to think clearly and perform better on tests. Some sleep habits you should try to get better sleep are turning off all your technology at least 30 minutes to one hour before sleeping. Create a comfortable sleep environment to help your mind and body settle in. Dim the lights or have no lights, whichever one you feel more comfortable with. Put on relaxing music or have the fan on. Remember, this is your environment and your sleep, so make it yours. If you want to improve your sleep habits, start now so your body adapts, as it takes 1-2 weeks to see results.
- Listen to Calming Music
Calming music can help block out distractions and help absorb information effectively. When studying for your AP test, listening to calming music instead of upbeat music will improve your focus and function as it doesn’t contain lyrics. Lyrics from an upbeat song can completely distract you, especially if it’s one of your favorites. Some people can listen to upbeat music, but it’s often known as a distraction, according to the National Institutes of Health.
- Switch Up Your Environment
Switching up your environment is extremely helpful when it comes to staying focused. For example, laying down on your bed will turn into sleeping during your study time. This is why switching up your space when studying is so important. It’s all about the focus, especially after a long day. When you change your surroundings during study time, your mind changes as well. Sitting at a desk or going to a library signals your brain it’s time to focus and be productive. After finding an environment that provides support, your studying will become more beneficial.
- Take Breaks
Taking breaks is extremely important; your brain cannot absorb tons of information without one. When taking a break, set timers. Many students believe studying for hours without breaks will help them learn more, but in reality, their brains lose focus and could cause burnout. With breaks, our brains are able to process, refocus and relax. Taking breaks refreshes your brain and prevents burnout or boredom. With that, you can download apps that can help you stay focused and productive. Some apps you could download are “Focus Friend” and “Finch,” both of which help students pursue their goals and keep engagement high.
- Eliminate Distractions
Some of our distractions get the best of us which is why we need to eliminate them to get the best studying session we can get. When we have distractions, we tend not to focus on the specific subject we are studying, even when the test is the next day. One common distraction is phones. You need to put it away or turn it off when studying. You might say you need it to study, but do you really? No, although smartphones have calculators, online flashcards, and dictionaries, smartphones also have access to doomscrolling. You can set a screen limit to reduce distractions, as well as print materials if necessary, to have absolutely no distractions when studying.
- Ask for Help
Asking for help doesn’t hurt anyone; instead, it expands your knowledge and understanding of that specific subject. You cannot study the material without truly understanding it. You are going to be spending hours studying that concept, so don’t spend hours studying the information you’re unsure of. It’s better to ask for help when needed. This helps shape your thinking and focus on the correct information you need to be successful on your next test. Creating study groups can benefit your learning. With this group, you can ask the people in the group or even have questions you had before answered without even asking, because you guys are discussing the concept or making a type of repetition game of the information. This helps shape your thinking and focus on the correct information you need to be successful on your next test. Study time is valuable, so don’t waste it; get help when you truly need it, even for a small concern.
- Create Study Guides, Flashcards and Quizzes
When you create study materials, you’re not just rereading them; your brain is selecting the key ideas for that particular subject. Repetition with flashcards helps students memorize the material better. Quizlet is an app that helps memorize with flashcards, study activities and practice tests. But if that’s not your type of studying, Blooket is a review game. If you want to have fun playing games and studying, I would recommend Booklet for you as it balances fun and studying all in one.
- Don’t Procrastinate
When you manage your study time wisely, you tend to stay on track and get enough time to study. Cramming study time just alerts your brain into panic mode. When you procrastinate, you wait until the last minute to study, which is not beneficial because you’re not processing the information as efficiently as you could have when started earlier. Use your agenda to help you keep track of the important dates so you can plan study times to be prepared for the AP tests coming up.
