by Danica Vermillion

With semester exams coming up, we gave ideas for where to study, whether you prefer being surrounded by books or smelling good coffee. Now, we asked students for tips for others who aren’t sure how to study effectively.

How you study can affect how well you perform on a test, but the first piece of advice from students is to just do it. “I find my biggest struggle with studying is starting,” senior Daryn Cross said. “I procrastinate a lot so it makes it a little challenging to get a good studying session in. Though I don’t study too often, I do study when I need to. One thing that helps me study is putting myself in an area where there aren’t distractions to take my attention away from the work I’m working on.”

Most students recommend using time and study guides to your advantage. “Studying is challenging at times,” sophomore Tannor Simpson said. “I worry that I may not be studying the right material or that I may not remember what I studied on the day of the test.

I choose to study roughly every other day to help me retain the material I’m learning. I recommend using every resource you have available — even making your own study guide helps with studying a lot. If I could give any advice, the best thing that helps me is making sure I take good notes throughout the year that I can use to study.”

Junior Tommy Dickman admits that studying can make a difference. “I would say my biggest struggle is the day of a test realizing that I should have studied for the material,” Dickman said. “I don’t often study. Though if needed, I recommend using practice problems and talking to others about the test material. I will say the best tool you have to do well on a test is paying attention during class.”

For freshmen, exams are a new experience. “My biggest fear come test day is not being prepared for it or being able to focus,” freshman Heidi Pummell said. “I tend to study a lot on subjects that I struggle to focus and pay attention to. My favorite methods for studying are flashcards and Quizlets. They can both be super helpful if you need to memorize material.”