College Success Tip: Don’t Relearn

When you’re studying for an exam, have you already been presented with the information? Chances are that yes, you’ve covered it during the first time you’ve attended the lecture or over a homework assignment. You can save a tremendous amount of time if you learn the information the first time around and not relearn the material later on.

How do you do this? When you’re first reading book materials, highlight important facts or write the important notes down in your notebook. Pay attention during lectures and take notes — don’t doodle or let your mind wander.

There’s never anything wrong with refreshing your memory, but you should never actually have to relearn it. Use the first time around to grasp a solid foundation of your study so that you don’t have to feel stressed come exam time.

Consider yourself always prepared for a pop quiz — and always ready to ace it. If you’re not at that point, you’re definitely lagging behind and you should consider learning the material a first time so that you’ll never have to learn it again later.

Keep in mind that if you fall behind, it adds to your college stress levels. It also wastes a considerable amount of time since you’ll be reading and rereading material in order to get that stable foundation. If you’re constantly playing catch up, you’ll never quite feel at ease which might explain the earlier study. When you study, remember that you’re taking classes that require other courses as prerequisites, so you won’t have to be learning and learning again in your later years of college. You’re already establishing that foundation during your freshman and sophomore years. Keep at it and you’ll reap the rewards — including giving yourself a lot of leisure time when the rest of your classmates are staying up all night cramming.