Scent
Spray an unfamiliar scent while studying. Then, spray that same scent right before taking your test! Unfamiliar smells make the experience more unique and will help you remember things you studied more vividly!
Gum
The same concept applies to gum. Chew an unfamiliar flavor while studying and then chew the same flavor while taking the test! The unfamiliarity will make the content you studied stand out in your brain.
Notes
Act as if you are allowed to bring a cheat sheet with you and write everything you think is relevant for the test on it. It’s an extra writing exercise to help you remember the important things, and the writing itself will get half of the studying out of the way. Save it after the test to help you study for the final.
Music
Play instrumental background music to help you focus through the boredom of studying and listening to online lectures. Try Sigur Ros, Tycho, Autechre. You can even play the instrumental music from your favorite movies. As long as the music doesn’t have lyrics, you’ll be fine.
Food
Leave yourself a gummy bear or chocolate bar when studying! Treat yourself to “prizes” as you finish chapters, so that you have a small incentive to keep going. Who wouldn’t want another piece of chocolate?
Memory
Before you even write your name on the exam, write down all of the formulas you’ll need at the top of the first page! When you get to a question that requires one, just go back to the first page and copy it from there. That way, you won’t forget them later on.
Speed
When you have too many recorded lectures to listen through and very little time, play the lectures at 2x the speed. It’s still understandable for you to get the information, but it will cut your listening time in half.
Fonts
When studying, use hard-to-read fonts for all relevant material. Studies have shown that easy-to-read fonts are more likely to be skimmed over, thus not letting the information sink in. Harder-to-read fonts will make it difficult for you to skim, making you pay more attention to the information being presented!
Discipline
Avoid outside distractions by using software to block sites on your computer for a set period of time. Most people use SelfControl ColdTurkey or StayFocusd. Also, turn your phone into silent and place it facing down.
Documentary
For history and anthropology classes, watch as many documentaries on the topic as possible. It beats studying by a lot, and you’ll actually get entertained while learning about the topic in question. Netflix probably has at least one documentary about the topic you need to study about.
Sample Test
Before, during, or after studying, take sample tests to see how much you know about the topic. Google “site:edu [subject matter] exam” and you’ll find several exams on that topic. Who knows, you might just end up finding the exact test your professor will give you once exam time comes! If your task will be essay writing, you can use cheap research paper service.
Color Coding
Take notes using different colored pens, to highlight different areas of focus. This is especially useful for people with photographic memories. It might take a little longer to write with more than one pen, but the results might just be worth it!