Relaxing and Staying Focused
Take deep breaths. You only have five minutes left, but don’t focus on that or worry about how badly you might do on the test. Clear your mind and try to think only about the material you remember learning that you will be quizzed on.
Write down your worries. During a study of highly anxious ninth graders taking a biology final, it was found that the students who took a couple of minutes to write down what they were worried about with the test did better on it than those who sat quietly during those couple of minutes. This technique tends to work especially for people who are constant worriers, because worrying clouds your thinking and causes you to miss questions that you may actually know.
Do a simple recall. Make a quick list of the biggest points from the material: characters and plot, formulae, or important dates and events. Try to do it from memory, but if you can’t, glance at your notes for a couple of minutes first and then get writing.
Use any time available as extra study time. You may actually have more than five minutes if you remember about the test early enough. You could use the ride to school, lunch, recess, or between classes, before the class that the test is in.
Skimming and Memorizing
Choose the information you’ll speed-read carefully. Since you don’t have a lot of time, focus on the bits that you think will most likely be on the test or that will get you the most points. Read the bolded words in the text and their definitions. If there aren’t any bolded words, then skim for other important information to review – dates, events, etc. If you are taking a math test, review the formulas during your skimming session. Make sure you understand how to solve problems using the formulas.
Memorize from flash cards if you have them. For definitions or math formulas, flash cards are a great way to review. Flip through them as quickly as possible and try to say the definitions or complete the formulae without looking at the back.
Say the skimmed information out loud. Repeating information out loud is very helpful for remembering it. If you made flash cards, repeat the information on them out loud, since you will most likely not be able to use them during the test.
Flip to the back of the chapter or packet and read the review questions. This is a great way to get you focused on what you need to remember for the test. Keep in mind the big points that are covered in the questions, and write them down.
Read the study guide. If your teacher has given you a study guide, this is great news! Read it carefully. If you have time, read it again. And again. If it is a study guide with questions, hopefully you already answered the questions. Most likely, the material in the study guide is what will be on the test.
Repeat your notes to yourself. Whether using the chapter review questions or a study guide, try focusing on the most important questions and repeating the answers to yourself quickly.
Make up rhymes, songs, or mnemonics. A good last minute memorization technique is to use one of these devices for the answers of your review questions. Musically inclined students may find it helpful to make up a rhyme or song to memorize information. A mnemonic device is any memory association tool you use to help yourself remember something; the most common kind is a name mnemonic such as ROY G BIV for the colors of the rainbow (Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Indigo Violet)
Make a list of important details. Depending on the subject, make a quick list of important dates, characters, plot points, or formulae. Anything that you can take from memory will be a helpful review in five minutes.
Asking a Friend to Review with You
Choose a friend you trust. Studying out loud is a very helpful way to remember information. If you hear information and talk about it, you’re more likely to remember it. Just make sure you choose a friend who probably studied and understands the material.
Talk about the material. Ask your friend if the two of you can exchange notes so you can read theirs quickly. After your friend has told you what they remember learning from studying, repeat what they say out loud, in your own words. Doing this will help you to better recall what you studied while you’re taking the test.
Ask questions and pay attention. If you’re not sure about what something your friend said means, ask about it. Keep asking questions until you understand it. Relate what you know already to what your friend is saying, and have a conversation about the test material. Figuring out what to stay focused on together will be helpful for the both of you.
Quiz each other. Using your notes, ask each other some basic questions on what you think you should know for the test. Give each other a little pep talk too about how great you’ll both do!
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