Enlarge image
Lazy too long?
Then it's time for the learning emergency plan.
(icon picture)
Photo: AndreaObzerova / iStockphoto / Getty Images
When I tweeted a few years ago: "Studying means constantly underestimating the time left until the next exam," a professor from southern Germany slid me into the DMs.
The gentleman complained about the picture I would draw of the universities and what I would think of to lump all students together.
That never happened to him.
Yes / Yes.
As I did then, I'm sticking to it today: every student has started learning too late at least once.
Modern curricula are simply too full and the exams too tightly scheduled for someone to be able to review and prepare the entire material on time.
So no reproach at this point - at least not to the students.
But what to do if you start studying too late?
Despair?
Give up?
push the exam?
No.
Fight and make the best of the situation.
My contingency plan might help.
0. Act strategically
Experience shows that when time is short, many students simply start learning.
Every second counts!
That's true in itself - but if you don't use these seconds properly, they won't help you.
You have to be smart and use the remaining time efficiently.
You can't afford to act headless.
So make a plan first – or stick to this one.
1. Get an overview
The first thing you should do is get an overview of the situation and your resources: When is the exam?
how much time do you have
How many hours do you have to study?
Do some of your fellow students have to take the same exam?
Can you team up with them ?
What do you have to be able to do to pass?
We'll take a closer look at the last point later.
2. Gather fabric
Next, you gather your study materials: books, scripts, lecture slides, exercises, and so on.
You gather everything you have (sifted out afterwards).
Often particularly valuable: old exam questions.
If the chair does not publish them, ask older fellow students, inquire with the student council and check online file sharing platforms such as Studydrive.
But don't dawdle.
3. Set priorities
Do you have the documents in front of you?
Very good, because now it's being cut.
Because time is short, you can't possibly learn everything.
Instead, focus on a few themes that make you persevere.
Which chapters of the lecture are central?
What are the core ideas?
Which concepts and methods are repeated over and over again?
What was asked in old exam questions?
Concentrate on these components when learning - and leave everything else out for now.
4. Identify nuggets
In addition to fundamental concepts and methods that you should have understood, there is content in almost every course that the examiners ask stupid questions about.
Tracking down these nuggets can earn you valuable points with a little memorization.
A few orientation examples that typically appear: key definitions, critical metrics, data and facts about events, models and formulas.
5. Divide time
After you have identified the relevant learning material and set priorities, you distribute this content to the first quarter of your available time.
And the rest?
You need it for repetitions, application examples and exam simulations (more on that in a moment).
There's no point in just going through all the content once and then passively reading a synopsis - it hardly sticks in your memory.
6. Learn efficiently
You should organize your learning units in stages.
For example: study for half an hour, take a five-minute break, study for another half hour, and so on.
This way you stay fresh and efficient.
The Pomodoro Technique is a time management technique you can use for this.
Do not study continuously for hours or even at night.
This weakens your performance and ruins your memory power.
7. Learn effectively
Advertisement
Tim Reichel
Bachelor of Time: Time management during studies
Publisher: Studienscheiss
Number of pages: 144
Publisher: Studienscheiss
Number of pages: 144
Buy for €19.90
price query time
08.02.2023 20:09
No guarantee
Order from Amazon
Order from Thalia
Product reviews are purely editorial and independent.
Via the so-called affiliate links above, we usually receive a commission from the retailer when you make a purchase.
More information here
Oho, the fine Mr. Author distinguishes between efficient and effective.
Yes - and you should too.
Remember the use cases and exam simulations above?
These are active learning methods that you should definitely use.
Don't read your summary for the fifth time—instead, come up with your own use case.
Or solve an exercise on time and under exam conditions.
It's challenging and uncomfortable, but your neurons will love it.
Conclusion
If you're late for an exam preparation, don't freak out.
Take a deep breath, think for a moment and make a plan.
Small spoiler: scarcity of time is something that will accompany you throughout your life.
Now is a good time to learn how to deal with it.
Divide your time sensibly, concentrate on the essentials and learn actively with a system.
Then you will make it even with little time.
Good luck on your next exam!