These 25 Study Tricks Are Sure To Help You Pass All Of Your Tests This Year

Pure genius.

We asked the members of the BuzzFeed Community about their best study strategies and they had some really brilliant ideas.

Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed

1. Practice a little bit every day, especially when it comes to languages.

Warner Bros.

I used to study French notecards for maybe 20 minutes every day so that by the time a test came around, I wouldn't have to study that much more.

—beccar4c2c0e175

2. And create flashcards on Anki or Quizlet so that you can review on the go.

ankiapp.com

ANKI! It's a spaced repetition flashcard program that's SUPER popular amongst med students. It "learns" with you, so it shows you flashcards in order of how well you know them. There's a lot of bells and whistles to the program and you can modify it to best suit your needs. The cram mode is definitely a plus as it shows you all the cards in your study deck which is great before a test!

—alisat4fbc2341b

3. Assign yourself homework that will help you learn the information over time instead of cramming before the test.

FXX

I write a weekly essay on topics I liked during the week. Just a short 2-pager. I didn't try to make it amazing, just collected my thoughts. This was especially helpful when a large essay was assigned because I could just take a topic I already wrote about and extend it.

—ckaysanders

4. And take a practice test before you begin really studying to see what you already know and what needs more work.

instagram.com

I always liked starting off by doing a practice test or reworking problems before going back through all the material. You get to see what you remember from the semester so you don't have to waste as much time studying those areas. It's sometimes surprising to see how much you've actually retained. Then you can focus on the areas you didn't do so well on and not make the same mistakes you did in practicing. I would usually repeat the steps of practice tests and studying the material until I felt I was ready for the test.

—alyssap460819aa6

5. Use apps that limit your access to distractions such as Forest or SelfControl.

chrome.google.com

I use an app called "Forest" that makes me stay off my phone, and in return I grow little trees. It sounds stupid, but you become really attached to the trees and don't want them to die by unlocking your phone.

—delaneygreczyn

6. Or master The Pomodoro Technique to make all of the work you do more efficient.

cirillocompany.de

Set a timer for 25 minutes at a time to focus on your study topic or work on a paper, then when the timer goes off, set it again for five minutes to do something fun like going for a quick jog, taking a shower, or having a dance break.

—svenskaspark

7. Rewrite your notes at least once.

darlingrachel.com / Via cw0630.tumblr.com

I keep two notebooks. I use one to take notes during lectures and I use the other at home to copy down the class notes in a nicer, more legible way. Makes it easier to study. Plus, the more you write something, the more you'll remember it!

—zgklingaman

8. And reread your notes every night before bed.

Cartoon Network

I scribble down notes during a lecture, then I rewrite them at home. I read them every night after homework until exam week and it just sticks in my brain. I've done this since 5th grade and I've never had anything lower than a 4.0... Yes, it takes time, but if you want good grades then use it because it WORKS!!

—nataliescott511

9. Teach the information to literally anyone who will listen.

mercurynews.com

Ever since I was a kid, I loved lining up all my toys and playing teacher with them. I never really stopped and find that trying to teach the material I'm learning really helps me to remember the material.

—mackenzieg4708c1b5e

10. And frame the information in words they can understand.

NBC

If you're trying to remember an event or some type of historical fact, rephrase the story in a less boring way. Then tell that story to your roommate, your parents, your cat, or little cousin. Essentially recreate Drunk History.

—maggie684

11. Use white noise to block out distracting noises.

IFC

If you listen to white noise or alpha wave YouTube videos (that aid in studying), they help tune out outside noise.

—b123

12. Or listen to classical music that motivates you without being distracting (specifically Baroque).

FOX

I cannot emphasize studying to classical music enough! I don't know what it is, no other type of lyric-less music helps me focus, but I can always type and think as fast as the music is going. It's particularly great with songs that alternate between slower, softer parts and fast, dramatic parts. I have a playlist on Spotify that never fails me and helps me crank out brilliant essays at lightning speed.

—zoeeis99

13. Incentivize yourself with treats or rewards.

imgur.com

Every time I read a chapter of my textbook or section of my notes, I let myself have a gummy bear.

—madysen333

14. Or just make the whole process fun.

Warner Bros.

I'm a theatre kid, so I would recite the key points of my study material like a dramatic soap-opera-style play. It was great entertainment for my family when I would dramatically walk down the stairs, make a dramatic expression, and say, "2ax= -b /- square root of 4ac?!"

—alexaw4d41c220b

15. Sing the information that won't stick.

Illumination Entertainment

If I have to learn the exact wording of something like "2-hydroxypropane-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid" or "When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another....", I just create a melody and sing the text to the melody until it becomes the worst earwig.

—mafakim

16. Or just read out loud to retain the information better.

FXX

Speaking what you're studying is more effective than just doing it mentally.

—lunam426c506d4

17. Fit the most important information on one page and rewrite it as many times as possible.

instagram.com

The best thing that helped me in law school and studying for the bar is to condense the material to what is important so that it fits one page. The more you write something — especially if you write it in different formats — the more you will remember the material.

—jfrey224

18. Or break information down into bite-size pieces.

instagram.com

I like to handwrite "ID's" or "Identification Definitions" that are 1-2 sentences long to summarize a concept.

—louisew4a9e3b2ba

19. Try out different memorization strategies such as the peg system.

youtube.com

For simple memorization, I swear by mnemonic devices. A lot of times this just means coming up with silly acronyms, but for more complex memorization I take to the Internet to see what other people have come up with. For example, when I had to memorize Erikson's stages of psychosocial development in psych, I used this video, and I memorized the information extremely quickly.

—primavolta

20. Or the Method of Loci, also known as a memory palace.

youtube.com

I use a technique called a memory palace. Basically, you visualize the stuff you need to memorize on a path on a familiar space (I use my childhood home). Then, you just retrace the path if you need to remember something. I swear by this technique! I am the worst at memorizing but I learned Spanish using this. ¡Es muy efectivo, mis amigos!

—epicurist1205

21. Get organized with handwritten agendas or digital to-do apps like Trello.

youtube.com

For organization, I always want to keep a handwritten calendar or bullet journal, but it never lasts! Trello is by far the greatest to-do app. I like to separate my Trello boards by class, then by week, then by assignment — and each assignment card has its own list(s).

—rubiaannamaria

22. Or keep track of all of your notes with a table of contents.

buzzfeed.com

I put a table of contents at the front of all of my notebooks so when it comes time to study I know exactly where to look.

—csolis

23. Record your professors so that you don't miss anything important (you might want to ask them for permission, first).

youtube.com

For my more dense classes I record the lectures on my phone. I then go back and re-listen to the lecture and add to the notes I already took. This allows me to concentrate more on what the teacher is saying in class rather than worrying about writing everything down.

—briannaw11

24. And talk through the information with other people in your class.

HBO

I make study groups, and I arrange for all of us to meet before an exam. The more people you invite, the more likely it is that someone understands something that you don't.

—valerieb4834d1cda

25. Study late at night when no one is around or online to distract you.

FXX

I have ADHD so sitting down to study is a challenge for me. I get my best scores on tests when I study at 12 a.m.-2 a.m. Everyone is asleep, the house is silent, and I have NO distractions. I know I'm on a time constraint (I obviously needed to sleep) so I studied hard in order to get to bed by 2:30 AM.

—catherineelizabeth55

And most importantly, believe in yourself!

Touchstone Pictures

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Some responses have been lightly edited for length or clarity.