After a long and challenging school year, the last thing students want to think about is doing extra work over the summer. However, the summer can be an excellent time for students to improve performance while still being able to have a long and relaxing break. Here are some tips that students can use in order to improve their performance on exams:
Cap Study Time
Setting a limit on study time forces us to be efficient. Instead of sitting in front of the computer for 3 hours and only really concentrating for 2, set a maximum of 1.5 - 2 hours of study time. Break the time into 15 or 30 minute intervals with short breaks (5 minutes or so) to keep your concentration.
Build Skills
The best time to improve academic weaknesses or strengths is when the pressure of grades and a full academic calendar are not present. Here is where gains can truly be made and results discovered. For SAT & ACT, this can be learning new vocabulary, improving reading comprehension, and taking a deep dive into grammar. Spending 1 hour a day on these areas will greatly improve performance and have exponential benefits in the classroom.
Set a Schedule…. And Stick to It!
Unstructured time is great when you’re relaxing on a beach or enjoying time with family, but deadly when you’re studying. Creating a calendar with daily tasks and assignments will help keep you on track and productive. A great way to stay motivated is to create incentives for yourself. For instance, if you stick to your schedule for a week, treat yourself to a day off or your favorite ice cream - not because you’re being lazy, but because you earned it!
Revisit Past Failures
If you have trouble with specific sections of exams, use the summer to take a deep dive into the “why” and “how” these parts frustrate you. Be honest with yourself and really think about how to proactively improve this part of your performance. If you run into a dead end, reach out to your counselor or tutor and create a strategy of how to approach and overcome the issue. The more time spent on being proactive, the better off you will be when it comes to finding a solution.
Plan Backwards
If you’ve already booked your fall exam or have a target date in mind, it’s important to be mentally focused and peaking the week of the exam. Using the exam date as a target, you should be gradually ramping up your preparation week by week so that by the time you sit for the exam, you are at your best. The worst thing to do is to set a really high and unrealistic pace in the summer, which will lead to burnout and not being able to stick to the schedule. Instead, plan for a gradual ramping up and sign up for a bootcamp class or tutoring sessions during the weeks leading up to the exam to really get yourself locked in.
Enjoy the Process
Yes, test prep is nerve wracking and challenging, but embrace it. It is not the end all, be all of your academic life, only a small part of what makes you who you are. See it as another challenge to face and conquer on the way to a long and successful life!
Lastly, throughout the summer, have fun and enjoy everything that comes with it.
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