Learn fast

Last minute study tips to help you now

From chewing gum to smelling certain scents to the famous book under the pillow: there are many things that supposedly make learning easier. Because there is no evidence that these tricks bring the desired success. Instead, rely on effective and tried-and-tested tips and use the remaining time until the exam wisely. Discover our five last-minute study tips.

The Abitur exams are approaching and you still haven't got all the knowledge into your head? No reason to be nervous! Because: You are not alone. After all, many people have probably sat desperately over a stack of books shortly before an important exam and asked themselves: How am I supposed to memorize all the material in such a short time? The good news is that there are a few things that can help you prepare for high school . You can find out which last-minute learning tips are particularly effective in this article.

Last Minute Study Tip 1: Have a plan

The exam is in a few weeks or days? Then your first step is: Get an overview . And in peace. That might sound counterproductive - after all, you need every minute to hammer knowledge into your head, especially if you're studying what feels like the day before the exam.

However, if you skip this important step and just start learning, there is a high risk that at the end of the preparation period there will still be learning material left over that you have not yet looked at. Or that you learn things that are not relevant to the exam. Neither is a good prerequisite for good exam results.

Instead, do this :

• Go through all your notes calmly.
• Think about what is important and what is not.
• Make a plan.

Write down what you want to learn and when, and be aware that due to time constraints you may not be able to go into as much detail as you would like. It's better to learn the most important aspects of all subject areas rather than just one subject area in detail. Because if your “special area” doesn’t come up in the exam, you’re lost.

Our tip: Plan not only the weeks, but also your learning units. The Pomodoro technique, for example, is suitable for this. Included

• you learn 25 minutes,
• then take a five minute break and
• Then study again for 25 minutes.

After four learning phases, you take a longer break of around 15 minutes. The idea behind it: The frequent breaks help you to let your thoughts drift less while you're learning - and to stay more focused on the matter at hand .

During the short breaks from studying, you can reward yourself with a small fruity-sweet dextrose bar. Particularly practical: the minis and the school material variant. The small boxes fit perfectly in your pencil case or trouser pocket. So you always have them with you - whether you're studying at home, with your study buddy or in the library.

Last-minute learning tip 2: Use online platforms

• When it comes to some chemical processes, mathematical equations or historical developments, do you just understand train station? Then let someone else explain the situation to you. There are now many online platforms that help you learn . In addition to interactive tests and the official Abitur questions and answers from recent years, they often also contain learning videos. In these short clips, experts explain a specific topic to you visually.
• Learning with videos has many advantages for you:
• Explanatory videos help you with last-minute learning. Because they summarize complex content in just a few minutes - for a quick overview of the topic.
• You can learn at your own pace and pause the video at any time. Did you not understand something? Then just rewind and watch it again.
• You can learn when and where you want – regardless of school hours, teachers and tutors.
• Most explanatory videos contain graphics and animations - and thus represent complicated things more clearly than classic blackboard pictures. This will help you understand and remember them better. By the way: Many people can remember information in picture form better than information in text form. The phenomenon behind this is the so-called Picture Superiority Effect .

• Another advantage: In addition to paid platforms where you pay around ten to 20 euros per month, there are also some free offers. It's best to research online which platform suits you and your learning needs best.

Looking for last minute study tips? On online platforms you can find videos that explain learning content briefly, concisely and understandably.

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• Our tip : If you're good at learning with videos, try out other visual techniques too - for example the loci method . You think of a route that leads through your room. Next, identify items you'll pass along the way, such as your bed, closet, and desk.
• With these objects you connect - with a mnemonic - facts, vocabulary or dates that you want to learn. Mentally walk this path several times and repeat the learning material at each “checkpoint”. This method allows your brain to remember abstract things better because you associate them with images.

Last minute study tip 3: Live healthy

A balanced diet, enough exercise and enough sleep : A healthy lifestyle can help you feel balanced, satisfied and healthy. A healthy lifestyle is particularly important if you have to study quickly because there are only a few weeks or days left until the exam.

Because: If you sleep little during this important phase, eat fast food and sweets and hardly exercise, this can have a negative impact on your memory performance - some studies also suggest this. Or to put it another way: Your brain is then less receptive and you can't remember anything.

If you have an unhealthy lifestyle, it's difficult to change it from one day to the next . The already challenging exam preparation is also not a good time to completely get rid of ingrained habits.

Nevertheless, you can gradually get rid of some habits that can have a negative effect on your learning success and replace them with healthy habits . You can read here which five healthy habits can have a positive impact on your learning success.

Healthy habits: These 5 can improve your learning performance

1. Drink a lot

With sufficient fluid intake, the blood can flow better and transport oxygen to the brain more effectively - studies also suggest this. If your brain is well supplied with oxygen, it functions better.

2. Eat a balanced diet

Some studies suggest that junk food has a negative impact on memory performance. So it's better to avoid it and try to eat healthy instead. Particularly good for mental performance: fruit, vegetables, quark, eggs and nuts.

3. Plan enough breaks

If you study for a long time at a time, your learning performance will decrease after a certain time. The result: You become less focused and can no longer absorb new knowledge. Despite time pressure, take a five-minute break every 90 minutes so that you can study more efficiently again afterwards.

4. Move a lot

When you exercise, you boost your metabolism. Exercise also ensures that your brain is supplied with oxygen, which makes the nerve cells in the brain more active. The result: your attention increases. Therefore: Just walk back and forth while learning.

5. Catch some fresh air
   When studying, many people breathe very shallowly without noticing. This is not ideal for the oxygen supply to your brain. Therefore, go for a walk during breaks from studying and breathe in and out deeply. This is how you create a balance - and also see something other than your books. If you don't have time to walk, at least ventilate regularly.

By the way: When you study hard, your brain is particularly active. Then it uses approximately twice as many energy reserves as when at rest. It gets energy mainly from foods rich in carbohydrates - such as pasta, bread and oatmeal.

The problem: It's hard to cook pasta in the library every now and then. The solution: supply your head with quickly available dextrose. At Dextro Energy* you can choose between fruity dextrose drinks and classic dextrose cubes. Both products fit in every bag - so you can have them with you anytime, anywhere.

Last Minute Study Tip 4: Study with others

Learning in a group can have a positive effect on learning success – studies also show this. Provided that you don't just sit quietly next to each other and stare into space, nor do you distract each other and do nonsense.

So that you get as much as possible from the joint learning session, it is important that you make a plan in advance . Think about what learning material you want to go through at the next meeting. Also determine the goal of your session - for example, whether you want to get a rough overview of a topic or review the detailed knowledge you have learned. Then you will be more focused in the session and won't waste your time on unimportant things.

At the meeting, you might find it helpful to use a stopwatch . For example, you can say that the first 15 minutes are reserved for small talk. Then everyone works on a task for 30 to 60 minutes and then you discuss your results for 30 minutes. You can also use the stopwatch to remind yourself to take a break. During these breaks you can of course relax and chat again.

Something else that can influence your learning success is the group size. If there are too many of you, some may hold back and not actively participate. In a group that consists of a maximum of four to five friends , everyone has to make a contribution - and learn more as a result.

If you keep these things in mind, learning together can have many benefits for you. These are the following:

• You check whether you have really understood the learning content. If you can put what you have learned into your own words, that means you have actually understood it - and not just stubbornly memorized it. And that in turn means that you can remember and use it better.
• You notice gaps in your knowledge more quickly. If you're explaining something to someone else and you get stuck at some point, it means you still lack knowledge. Together you can then fill these gaps. Your learning partner can also give you feedback if you have misunderstood something. Then you can specifically work on this topic again.
• You motivate each other . If you study alone, your thoughts will probably quickly drift away. As a couple or in a small group, you can always encourage each other to keep going.
• You save time . When learning in a group, you can divide the work between you. And it works like this: Each person takes on a chapter or a specific part of the learning material. Work your way into your chosen area - and then explain to each other what you have learned.

Even after a few days in the learning tandem, you just can't remember the learning material? This may be a sign that you and your study buddy are simply not compatible. Or maybe you're generally not the type to learn with others ? Then don't force it, just try the other four learning tips in the article.

Last Minute Study Tip 5: Study before bed

Just put the vocabulary book under your pillow before you go to sleep and speak French fluently the next morning – sounds fantastic, right? Unfortunately, learning vocabulary isn't that easy. But the good news is: If you study just before you sleep, you'll probably remember facts better than if you cram during the day. Studies also confirm this. Why do you study so effectively just before you go to bed? It's simple: During sleep, the short-term memory sorts what it has learned and "pushes" everything it considers important into the long-term memory.

For this to work, sleep quality is important. Information is best consolidated during the deep sleep phase . This means for you: Make sure that you sleep adequately, deeply and peacefully despite the stress of exams . How many hours exactly depends on your personal needs.

For some, five or six hours is enough, for others it takes nine or ten. Just try out how many hours after which you feel fittest . If the upcoming test stresses you out so much that you can't fall asleep, meditating or taking a short walk can help you relax.

Finally, something really crazy : Some studies indicate that you can even learn while you sleep - i.e. subconsciously. But you shouldn't rely on it completely. Finally, it is currently unclear how much information the brain can actually absorb while sleeping. So there is a risk that you won't know anything on the day of the exam.

If you feel like trying it out yourself, the best way to do this is to study right before you go to bed and record the learning material using a voice recording . You leave the audio file playing while you sleep. The next morning, see if you can recall the information from memory.

Learn quickly: these tips will make it work

To achieve top exam results, it is of course best to study as early as possible. But sometimes things turn out differently. If there is only a short time left until the exam and you have to learn a lot quickly, the motto is: Do your best, but stay realistic. Because you may now only be able to learn some topics superficially. But don't stress yourself out too much about it. Take a deep breath and then approach learning in a structured and focused manner – with our five last-minute learning tips. Start preparing for the exam now. We wish you good luck!

 

* contains carbohydrates

A varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are important.

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