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Everyone has their own habits and rituals when the time comes to prepare for a test.  Some study in the early morning,  others in the afternoon and some late at night.  There are those who prefer to study with a group or those who study alone.  Each person creates habits according to their personality.  We can, however, give you some study tips that are helpful for everyone.

* Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) differentiates between people who are visual, auditive and kinesthetic learners.  If you are more visual you will find it useful to use bright colors to highlight and take notes when studying.  If you are in the second group, reading outloud could be quite beneficial.  The last group, the kinesthetic group, will find it most helpful to write or read while they are walking or doing some sort of movement.  Take some notes while you are running on a treadmill at the gym.

* Trust your instincts.  This will prove useful during multiple choice exams.  If you do not know the answer, go for your first instinct.  Sometimes over-thinking things will steer you off track.  If you have studied, your brain will guide you to the correct answer.

* Sleep well.  There are many people who pull all-nighters to prepare for an exam.  It is actually less productive for you for two reasons:  One is that your brain works less when it is tired, it processes less.  The second reason is the intrinsic relationship between sleep and memory.  Brains remember more when they have time to rest.  So, even though it doesn’t seem like it, you are studying while you sleep.

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* Eat healthy.  Studying is an activity that requires a lot of energy.  Make sure your diet helps you replenish and fuel your body for the long study sessions.  The idea is not to die of hunger or to get so full that you cannot even breathe.  Apples, nuts, brown rice and fish are some recommended items for these situations.

* Sound of body, sound of mind.  Your level of attention decreases after just 40 minutes of focusing.  The best thing to do is to have a short physical activity that won’t wear you out.  A quick jog or walk will allow you to rest your brain for a couple of minutes.

* Your personal image speaks a thousand words. We do not know if this phrase is necessarily true, but it does make sense.  One should dress for success.  If you feel prepared and professional, you will be more confident when it comes to sitting down and doing the test.  Also, your professors will see that you are taking their class seriously.

* Two ways to communicate.  It is not only expressing yourself with words, but also your gestures, posture and tone of voice.  This needs to be taken into account during oral exams.  You can show confidence in yourself and in what you are saying.  Speak slowly and firmly.

* Our final advice is to take exams how they really are:  one more moment to learn something.  When you do not know the answers, take advantage of the fact that your professor is there and ask them to explain it to you once you have finished.

These are our recommendations.  Some of them you will find applicable to your situation, and others no.  Is there anything we missed?  Happy studying!

Tags: Studying, Tips