Whether you’re currently a 4.0 student or working to get there, it’s always best to keep in mind that there’s room for improvement. Some classes may be a little easier than others, possibly even some semesters. Each one will come with its own set of challenges. And one study habit that may have worked in the past may not be going so well for another class or semester. A drop in exam scores could spiral into a drop in your course grade that can ultimately affect your GPA. So without the right kind of study habits, this could pose quite a problem.
Rise to the Challenge!
This is actually a good problem to have because it challenges you to be creative and find other ways to improve your exam scores. Being flexible enough to find other solutions to solve problems is a skill that will serve you well once you’ve graduated with your college degree and have gone on to work in a rewarding profession of your choice.
It’s quite easy to get looped into a routine, especially when you have a heavy workload—whether it’s academic, personal, work, or all three. Some type of organized system needs to be put in place in order to keep track of all the assignments, projects, due dates, and exams. The frustration for most students lies in doing all of these things, yet still not improving their exam scores.
Florida National University (FNU), a regionally accredited university located in the South Florida area, has witnessed many students who have struggled with this kind of problem. That is why we’ve taken the initiative to provide our students with 5 simple ways they can improve their test scores.
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Schedule a meeting with your professor.
Professors may be intimidating at first glance, especially on the first day of class when they communicate what their expectations are of you as they’re handing you a syllabus that is as thick as a booklet!
Professors teach because they want to, and they’re thrilled when a student takes the initiative to communicate with them to learn more about the subject they’ve spent years mastering. So don’t be afraid to ask questions while you’re in class. The best thing to do is schedule an appointment with your professor after you’ve receive your test scores so that you can personally go over the ones in question one by one. You’ll get a better understanding of what your professor expects to see in your work and your professor will also have a better understanding of how you approach the assignments handed to you. You will be pleasantly surprised at how this impacts your test scores.
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Try to improve your memory.
Getting a college education is about being able to apply what you’ve learned to real life career situations. Memory plays a big role in this. If you can improve your memory skills, then you’ve conquered a big portion of any study challenge you might have.
When it comes to improving your memory, it’s all about what works for you.
Memories can be personal, and there are some universal techniques, like the use of rhyme, short story, or having an exceptional photographic memory that will definitely aid in these things. Just keep in mind that the more you remember, the more academic material you’ll be able to retain, and the more academic material you’re able to retain, the better chances of scoring high on your next exam might be.
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Organize your notes.
Whether you’re taking notes by hand or typing them, trying to capture lecture notes can get quite messy. At the end of class you’ll find that your notes might look like they need de-coding! It’s well worth the time and effort to retype your lecture notes. Doing this has the following benefits:
- It forces you to look over your notes again.
- It forces you to review them in a critical matter so that they connect to previous lecture notes.
- You’ll have a better understanding of the lesson.
- Organizing your notes will help aid in improving your memory too!
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Avoid multi-tasking.
This piece of advice might be a little confusing since college life is all about multi-tasking. However, when it comes to studying for exams, this is one task that deserves your complete attention.
Studying in general and studying for exams can oftentimes mean two different things for a student. Studying to complete an assignment or project might not have as much pressure on a student than studying for an exam. So while some students might be able to check their social media accounts every few seconds during a study session, we don’t recommend that you do this when studying for exams. There are too many distracting opportunities that can pull you away from your studies. This is why we implore you to avoid multi-tasking when it comes to studying for exams.
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Get some tutoring.
A little extra class work will go a long way. Perhaps you might need more time to understand the coursework in question. When the one-on-one meeting sessions with your professor don’t seem to be rendering the results you’re looking for, then it might be time to look into hiring someone to teach you outside of regular class time. Spending additional resources to get a better grasp on a subject can oftentimes help aid in developing improved study habits that could result in higher exam scores.
The faculty and staff at a FNU are always available to help our students improve their academic life. If fear of low test scores is keeping you back from earning a college degree, don’t let it! We will help you. Contact an FNU advisor to discuss our accredited academic degree programs today.
