One thing every student has in common is studying. If you do not study you can not have a successful academic career, yet many students were never taught how to study. This begs the question: How does one study for a test? Well, I am here to tell you.

When you are studying for a test the first thing you should do is consider the environment you will be taking the test in. You want to replicate the environment as closely as possible, whether that is loud or quiet, cold, or hot, every little detail helps because your brain is more likely to recall information if you are in an environment that your brain and body recognize. This means you probably shouldn’t study for your math test in your bed while blasting Snoop Dogg since you cannot do the same during the actual test.

The next thing you should take into account is when you are the most alert and ready to learn. If you like to wake up early it is probably best to study in the morning, where as if you are more alert at night you should study then. Madison Dekker (12) says she “powers off her phone while she studies to eliminate all distractions.” This will eliminate a major distraction, as well as preventing the need to repeatedly check your phone. In some cases it may help to study in a public places, like a library, instead of alone.

No matter how you choose to study, the most important thing is that you do. Studying allows you to review the material you have been taught and to fully comprehend what you do not understand. Based off of this comprehension you can then go more in depth on subjects that you need more help on.

Many people claim they do not know how to study, or can’t study for a certain subject, but I assure you you can. There is always some way that you can study, even if that just means redoing some problems on your math homework. If you really don’t know how to study, the great thing about Yorba Linda High School is that all our staff makes it a point to be available to their students for extra help. You never have an excuse for not studying because help for every class is right at your fingertips, all you have to do is ask.