Studying for an exam can feel overwhelming to even the most seasoned student. There’s so much to know and remember that you might feel your eyes glazing over just thinking about it. If you find yourself struggling to keep it all straight, a study guide might be the right tool for you!
A study guide can be regarded as an outline of what may be expected in an exam. It won’t have every detail and is not a replacement for studying the complete materials. Depending on the topic, there are a lot of nuances that can be lost when using a study guide as your only tool.
If it’s a complex subject, though, a study guide can make it a lot easier to take it all in. Whether you’re looking for a NASM study guide or Shakespeare, odds are that there’s one out there for whatever topic you need. Let’s take a look at the top 10 benefits of using a study guide!
Less to Memorize
Unless you have a photographic memory, trying to memorize everything you could possibly need to know for an exam is just too much. A study guide can filter out the details you’re less likely to need to know. It’s a lot easier to draw upon the big ideas when they aren’t muddled by less vital ones.
Easier to Summarize
Sometimes it can be a challenge to pick through exam materials and connect all the dots. A study guide can help with clear, condensed ideas. It can assist you in putting everything in context and seeing how all the pieces relate to one another.
Visual Aid
A study guide might include a concept diagram. If you’re more of a visual learner, this can be a huge plus. A concept diagram visually depicts how topics relate to each other. You can think of it almost like a flow chart that clarifies the subject you’re studying.
Deeper Dive
Sometimes you need a different explanation for complex ideas to make sense. A study guide compresses the big ideas into manageable pieces. It might provide a different way of thinking about your subject and lead you to novel conclusions.
Timelines
If you’re studying a subject that requires a timeline, a study guide can tie names and dates together in a more direct way. Students of history or literature especially may appreciate how this can clear up some confusion.
Multitasking
The science shows that none of us is the great multitasker we believe ourselves to be. Sometimes, though, you don’t have a choice… such as when you have to study for more than one unit at a time. By offering concise information, a study guide helps you feel less overwhelmed by how much you need to absorb.
Time Savings
If you’ve already gone through the course materials, a study guide can save you time when reviewing them. If you’ve ever nailed a test because you studied the subject in a previous quarter, you already know how it works. It’s so much quicker to brush up on a subject than to learn it the first time, and study guides can help.
Sense of Direction
Taking the best notes in the world won’t help if you can’t get them sensibly organized. A study guide can assist with this by putting the important points right up front and in an easy-to-digest way. This can be a life-saver if you’re particularly frazzled.
Essays Made Easy
If a handy checklist of facts and figures won’t help with an essay exam, it’s time to get creative. Think back on what the instructor devoted a lot of time to and try to predict what the questions would look like. Imagine how you’d use that information to answer questions that start with, “how,” “why,” “describe,” and “compare and contrast,” just to name a few.
Words to the Wise
Vocabulary is an essential part of learning any subject; it’s the common language through which a subject is known and understood by others. If that’s an area of study you struggle with, flashcards can be a useful tool if your study guide has them. Make sure you know your vocabulary well enough to use it in a sentence and other contexts.
Time’s Up
Study guides used to have a reputation for being the cheater’s way to pass a test. Procrastinators would swear by them. Who wouldn’t jump at the opportunity to have all the answers neatly laid out to ensure a passing grade? The fact is that students still have to put in the work to get the results.
A study guide is no substitute for knowing the material but it can be an invaluable supplement. You need every tool in your toolbox you can get. When used appropriately, study guides can make almost any subject easier to excel at.
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