So you have examinations coming up? Have you tries everything but the results are not satisfactory in the past academic years?  It actually feels bad when you do not get the desired results even after working hard. You spend sleepless nights for scoring better but results have something else to say.

May be there has been a faulty approach for preparation. Here are few things according to psychologists which actually help in speeding up the learning process and score better that you have been doing so far.

Overnight study is not so effective

It is a myth that when you spend the last night before exam studying all night, you will get good marks. It is actually far from being true. If researches are to be believed overnight studies make our brain work even slower in processing the information than normal. They instead suggest a good sleep before sitting in for an examination. It is not about what is there in your brain, it depends how efficiently your brain can process and remodel it in the form of answers on the answer sheet.

Read the overview of chapter

It is better to review the overview of all the topics that you have to go through in a particular chapter before starting the chapter. It creates a map in your mind about the whole thing that you have to study. It acts like creating folders before filling in data in them. Whatever you study goes in different folders and you know what the relevance of each topic is even before moving on to the next topic.

Set targets

A person who sits on the study table thinking that he/she will study until getting tired is found to be less efficient than the one who decides to read 20 pages in one sitting before getting up. Nobody on earth knows better about your capabilities, so set targets accordingly. Make sure that the targets you set are attainable, because if you set them too high you will feel disappointed and disheartened when you fail to accomplish them.

A good way of attaining the set targets is to set rewards for yourself. Treat yourself with the favorite dessert or a visit to a friend’s place. In this way you can set new targets everyday and check the performance on a daily basis.

Go out and take a break

Your brain is like a glass, once it gets filled you cannot pour in more water or it will spill anyway. Give a break to your brain and go out for some light moments. Do not talk about studies and topics during this time. If you have a pet, play with it to freshen up your mood and brain for imbibing in new information.

Keep all the necessary things handy

People generally forget to take essential things that they may require during studies. They have to get up every now and then to get those things and this hampers the flow of learning. So when you sit on your study table it is better to have all necessary things with you including water and snacks.

Keep all distractions at bay

Find an isolated corner in your house and start studying. Make sure that you have unhooked or switched off your phone when you sit for studying. Bolt your doors from inside so that your siblings and pet cannot distract you from your mission. You can even ask your parents for cooperation when you can still hear noise from outside.

Keep the room well lit and ventilated

The study place should be well lit to facilitate a pleasant reading experience. Most people give up reading when the light is either too dim or too loud. Another important thing is that your study room should have proper ventilation so that you can have fresh air.

Even the brain needs food

You must be aware of the fact that food is required for carrying out every activity of the body. But did you know that brain feeds on glucose? It actually requires glucose in order to keep working. Make sure that you have snacks high in glucose content to feed your hard working partner. Bananas, glucose powder and other snacks can help in keeping the energy levels up to mark to keep you studying efficiently.

Play teacher-student

When you are studying alone, ask questions from yourself from the section of chapter that you have recently finished. If you are able to answer them, it is sure that you are doing it in the right way. Studies show that when you are able to answer them correctly, your confidence increases and the efficiency increases further.

Keep the windows closed

Open windows provide a view of the outside activities and thus can distract you. So to ensure maximum efficiency it is better to keep the windows shut. It is also not the wisest thing to study on terrace. You will think of everything else but studies.

Prepare notes

Writing is the best way to learn things. Read the topic first and then try to write it down as a summary. Even if you have to look back initially into the chapter keep writing again and again. In few such rounds you will be able to learn all the concepts at heart. It also helps you in maintaining easy notes which you can quickly revise on the day of examination.