What you should do
Start on time.
Read your study books while the classes are still going. Keep track of the reading material which are required for the exam and do a small chunk of each before each lecture/class. Take notes during your class and use these while studying.
Get up early.You need all the time you can get to study for exams, which means getting up early. Start your day by taking a refreshing shower and eating a balanced healthy breakfast that sets you up until lunch. Maybe grab a cup of coffee or eat an apple (it is said that an apple is more effective in waking you up in the morning than coffee is.).
Study for an hour, take a 10 minute break. Rinse and repeat.
Don't be too hard on yourself. Take breaks in between studying to keep your mind fresh. Also, give yourself more time to eat a healthy lunch in between study sessions. You can't study on an empty stomach, but also try to stay away from snacks and fatty foods.
We'll be posting a blog about what foods are good for studying effectively as well!
Relaxation
Don't overwork yourself. Make sure you do everything you need to do during the day and relax during the evening with a good movie or hang out with some friends.
Rest
Go to bed early because you'll be studying again the next day, or even worse, taking the test. Make sure you're properly rested so you'll have no problem getting up the next day.
What you actually do
Teacher starts the semester by saying; 'This isn't a class you can start studying for a couple of days in advance, so keep track of all the reading materials.'?
Challenge accepted!
A week before your exams start you check out your schedule and see which exam you have on monday. Study the crap out of that exam starting friday, realize you have more than one exam and multitask by switching between the monday and tuesday exam. Because of your poor time management skills you leave the wednesay through friday exams up to fate.
Sleep in.
When your alarm clock goes off at 8am, you curse past-you for setting it at an ungodly hour. Punch the snooze-button a couple of times before unplugging the whole damn thing and pulling the covers over your head. Wake up at 12am with a headache and stumble out of bed to fetch yourself a bowl with sugarcoated cereal and a cup of joe.
Procrastinate.
"I'll start studying in 30 minutes." ...This is usually the thought that sparks everything. "Just this one episode of Community, then I'll start." One episode turns into two, two intro three and before you know it, it's 8pm and you've finished six seasons and a movie.
Then panic hits and you start cursing past-you for procrastinating. Study for 6 hours straight without breaks. Fall asleep on your books with a snickers bar in your hand. Wake up at 5am, panic.
Go to bed at 5am, but set your alarm at 8am. Because you're going to do it differently tomorrow. Yes, keep telling yourself that.
Day of the exam
Get as many summaries from your fellow students as you can. Read them on the way to university. Panic. Keep reading the summaries. Panic some more and take the exam.
Curse yourself during the exam for not starting earlier.
"Next term I'm going to do everything differently... I promise."
