Anonymous said,

“I'm sorry dear but how do you study for finals? How many hours should I study per day? and how to get straight A's? I'm sorry if I'm bothering you”

emmastudies:

Hey! No bother, I’m happy to help. My study method is as follows:

1. Type up notes - I use OneNote to create notes according to the syllabus of each course. I go through each dot point using as many resources as I can, but I keep it brief and too the point. I use bullet points and colour coding to make it more effective and concise. I also add another information to would be useful (e.g. outlining a court case or report to further explain the point). 
   
2. Once printed, I highlight and annotate - I find highlighting the key points and adding any additional information super useful. 
   
3. Create flashcards and mindmaps - This helps me to visualise and remember key information. The flashcards are great for testing yourself or really simplifying a topic.
   
4. Using exam style questions, write essays - Creating full essays or essay outlines has been a lifesaver for me in terms of remembering lots of information.  Once written, breaking them down into bullet points and writing or printing them on to flashcards is also helpful. If I can, I will send the essay to my teachers. They provide extra information and feedback!
   
5. Find a study group or partner - Whilst it can be distracting at times, studying with friends and teaching each other can be great. If you don’t have the chance to get together with friends, even a family member can be a great help!
   
6. Past papers - Reading through and practicing past papers is another way I study. It’s useful to give you an idea of what questions they ask, what they haven’t ask before and your time management skills.

Usually at times of exams I’ll try to, at least, spend an hour a day per subject. Having a syllabus to work down and outlining what you’ve got to study is a great way to see how much time you should allow yourself. It’s definitely not worth studying for extended periods of time without breaks in an attempt to be productive. Try to have breaks and reward yourself.

For getting A’s, these are a few tips that helped me improve my grades. Hopefully it helps you!

• Start by organising your work, throw out or file old work and clear your desk. I have a post here that you might find useful!
  
• Buy something to keep you organised like a whiteboard or planner. You could instead download free student planner printables which you can customise! Also, having a planner/whiteboard that maps of your homework, due dates or exams may force you to start your homework before it’s due!
  
• Stay on top of your work, buying something to organise you is key! I know that leaving work to mount up can be daunting when you have to start!
  
• Make sure you stay focused during study - don’t let your phone or computer distract you. Keep it away, check it during beaks.
  
• Set goals of what you want to achieve, like receiving an A in one subject or not leaving home tasks till the last few days, and reward yourself if you reach them! 
  
• Make the most of your resources - use your textbook, the library, websites, your teachers! 
  
• I find buying and organising my stationary to be quite motivating. So you could test out what works best for you and get sorted there!
  
• You could try dedicating maybe an half-an-hour a day to studying, homework or organising your desk (you can increase as time goes on!).
  
• Try different studying techniques, like flash cards or study guides. Teach someone you know what you’re learning or set up a study group! 
  
• Also, maybe start running a studyblr so you can upload your own pictures and share your work!

Hope this helps and you get straight A’s! x