Hello Pre-Meds! I got a simple technique that I began using in my Junior year of college that has helped me tremendously with preparing for exams. I am very happy to share this with you all because it is so simple and easy to implement. Use this technique with my other advice and I am sure your test grades and GPA will soon skyrocket!

We all know that exams are an essential part of being a pre-med. They can make you or break you, and it is often something most pre-med students fear. It is absolutely critical to come into an exam feeling confident. You should already know you are going to make an A on the test before you even step inside. Don’t and I repeat DONT ever go into a test with the mindset that you will wing it and it will all work out. You must have prepared for every aspect of your test prior to sitting down and taking it. Preparation is everything! And there are certain ways you can make sure you are prepared enough for the exam. Thats where creating a good study list comes in handy. Having a good study list and knowing how to use it properly can literally change how you approach every exam from now on. I never take a test without first creating a study list and using it. In this article I am going to show you exactly how to create awesome study lists that will let you enter any exam with confidence!

What is a study list?

A study list is a specific list that you make to help you know what to focus on for an exam. A study list is useful because it both guides your studying to make it efficient and allows you to know when you are ready for your exam. After you have completed your study list you should be confident to go into any exam and ace it! It is an almost fool-proof method of acing your exams.

This is an example study list for a statistics test:

In this study list you can see exactly what you need to focus on for the test. The study list allows you to pinpoint what you need to focus on and then gives you an opportunity to mark it off when you understand it. Once you have mastered everything on your list you know you are fully ready to ace your exam. Preparation is key. And having an exact list of what to focus on will let you know when your preparation is complete. Check off everything on your list and then go into your exam confident!

MAKE SURE TO MASTER EVERY ITEM ON YOUR STUDY LIST BEFORE TAKING THE EXAM. How well you will do on your exam depends on two things: How thorough you make your study list and if you can master each item on it. Make a good study list and complete it before your exam and you will ace it. Period.

How to make a study list:

The first thing I do when making a study list is add the name of the class and the date of the test. This helps me stay oriented to when all my exams are and what subject I’m looking at. When you have multiple exams coming up this is very helpful for keeping track of what to study for.

You can use either a sticky note app, a text document, or hand-written study lists. I have used all three methods and each have their advantages. Just find a convenient method for you that allows you to see it on a regular basis. You want to be reminded as much as possible that you have an exam coming up and what you need to study for it. So make sure your study list is easy to find otherwise it defeats the purpose.

Make sure every item you add to your study list is very specific. You want to make your study list only the things you must know for the exam. The more specific the better. You want to include anything that might appear on the test. The point of the study list is to make sure you are prepared. Don’t leave any gaps in the list. You want to be prepared for anything that might appear. So make sure it is both comprehensive and specific. I will go into two examples of how I make study lists.

Example study list for Chemistry test and how to use it:

So lets imagine we have a Gen Chem exam coming up. The first thing we want to do is write when the test date is so we can keep track. Then we want to make a list of everything we know will be on the exam or might be on the exam. Make sure these are specific topics to learn. After you have done that you should have something that looks like this ..

Notice that all of the topics added to the list are specific and are reasonable to master.

After you have made your list start by going through each topic one by one. Focus on mastering that topic or until you feel certain you will do well on the exam for those questions. Once you have done that for a topic you can mark it off by either striking through it or deleting it off your list. Lets say that you just finished reading your textbook and did some practice problems on oxidation states, balancing redox reactions, and stoichiometry. Once you feel like you got these topics mastered or at least feel you got the hang of them, check them off your list. Your list should look like this now..

Just keep on mastering each topic on your study list until you have checked them all off your list.

After checking all the topics off your list you are going to be well prepared to handle your exam! It is really that simple. Make a list of all the topics you need to master. Go through your list one by one until you have checked them all off. Once they are all checked off you know that you are prepared and should feel confident! Here is another example for a biology exam.

Example study list for Biology test:

Once again, start by putting the course name and the test date. Make a list of all the topics you need to learn. And master each one of them.

Until all of the topics are mastered. You get the point by now.

After mastering each topic you are fully ready to ace your exam!

Summarizing points:

• A study list allows you to organize your studying to make it more efficient and provides a way to know when you are ready for your exam
• Make a study list that covers every topic on your exam
• Master each topic on your study list one by one, checking them off the list
• Once  you have mastered each topic on your study list you are ready to take the exam!

The best way to guarantee that you will ace your exams is by going into the test confident. I cannot emphasize this enough. You should always go into your exam knowing how well you will do. If you don’t go in knowing you will make an A, then you didn’t study enough. A study list is a great way to keep track of your tests and how well prepared you are for them. Always go into an exam already knowing you will make an A. Master every topic on your study list and you are going to do well!