More than the course content itself, it is often the study strategy adopted for a particular class that is the real determining factor in success. If done well, even the hardest engineering or economics class can be tackled effortlessly enough, but a botched execution can often be destructive academically and mentally. In the last rendition of “Make-or-Break Study Tips,” we reviewed some of the more common organizational and focus techniques adopted by students. Now, we will shift our attention to the act of studying: what to use, how to use it and when to stop.
In some classes, professors go the extra mile by providing practice prelims to students, allowing them to get a feel for the structure and expectation of the assessment. Unfortunately, this tool is easily misused, particularly due to the allure of simulating the “exam” environment. For one, these example prelims are plagued by their lack of repeatability. Once opened, they are spoiled completely, ruining the utility gleaned from their problems. Due to this, performing excellently on the practice exam and struggling with the real thing is a story repeated all too often at Cornell, as many interpret the content present in the practice as representative of the actual exam. In reality, this is not what practice exams should be used for, as they serve better as syntheses of course content, rather than summaries.
Instead, the actual content mastery comes from working with other materials: homework, quizzes and additional textbook problems. The broadness of these allows one to tackle every possible problem; then, once complete, the practice exam can be taken to get an appreciation of the time constraints present during the real thing. Although professors provide these materials with good intentions, and students certainly appreciate them, their usefulness can be deceiving, frequently causing more stress than benefit: 5/10.
During exam season, heading to office hours can be a real hassle, especially when they are located halfway across campus and so packed that the TA can only spare just a few minutes per student. The solution: study groups. Having a diversity of viewpoints is always key to challenging our own perspective; this allows us to solidify our understanding of material, relying on others to help highlight weaknesses to us. Additionally, they often commit students to showing up and working at a certain time every day, breaking bad procrastination habits. However, it has been shown that study groups don’t have a strong correlation with grade outcome, rendering participation in them a matter of personal choice. In this sense, their purpose is purely motivational, which, although seeming somewhat amorphous compared to other techniques, can often be key in engaging students with the material: 8/10.
For most introductory courses, there exists a wealth of additional resources online to help you get through the class. Especially when course materials feel ill-adapted to an upcoming exam, perhaps due to the inadequate applicability of officially provided problems, it is good practice to refer to outside resources. For my organic chemistry course, I would often get frustrated at the abstractions required to contend with textbook problems, which, although very useful, often didn’t do me much good in learning reaction mechanisms and synthetic strategies. Online, however, I was able to find pages of reaction practice from other universities, allowing me to practice the material thoroughly. Even so, it is dangerous to solely rely on these resources, as they may stipulate different formalisms and problem-solving strategies from those presented by Cornell professors, causing confusion on the actual exam. Ultimately, they are a great supplementary resource, especially to sharpen your course skills: 7/10.
Everyone loves to tout the benefits of exercise in nearly all aspects of life, but its role in effective studying is rather underappreciated. Particularly during finals season, every second away from a book can feel like a waste to some, incurring a serious toll on personal health and well-being. During these times, it's more important than ever to set aside an hour for some intense, sweat-causing exercise, giving your body the time it needs to reset and refresh. This goes well beyond having good habits, but capitalizing on the chemical and physiological processes of your body to help you focus. Cardiovascular exercise is ideal, as it increases blood flow to the brain significantly, carrying essential oxygen and nutrients, stimulating neurogenesis. Additionally, all forms of working out release endorphins, reducing stress and clearing the brain. After spending hours sitting at a computer, feeling hopeless about the state of an upcoming exam, the best thing to do is leave the books and let your body and brain reset: 10/10.
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Ayman Abou-Alfa is a second year student in the College of Arts & Sciences. His fortnightly column Mind & Matter delves into the intersection of culture and science at Cornell University. He can be reached at aaboualfa@cornellsun.com.
