May brings a lot of excitement to the halls of Wahlert Catholic, but with that excitement comes a lot of stress about the looming final tests and projects. Some students hit the books  early to get in as much studying time as they possibly can. Others wait until 8:00 the night before a final to start studying.

Before stressing and cramming it, is important to learn what experts have discovered about things that work…. and things that don’t…. while studying. Here is a list compiled of the top five studying myths and how to change them.

1. Cramming is the best way to study. Waiting until seminar to study for a biology test that is 6th period, then freaking out and trying to repeat the material over and over hoping at least some of it will be retained is not the correct way to study.

According to research done by Study-Skills, a website focused on helping students strengthen their studying, most of what is learned while cramming is forgotten before the test is even handed out. Here’s a tip: start studying little amounts of information about a week ahead of time, then gradually spend more time studying on the days leading up to the test.

2. Some people do better on tests if they don’t study. While some people seem to believe that they can do better on a test without studying at all, this is proven to be a myth. Even if you think you know the information like the back of your hand, looking it over could still be beneficial. The only time you might want to try this is if you have a lot of tests to study for and are fairly confident that you have one that you know you will pass without studying.    
3. Only study in one area. Some people think that their bed or special chair in the library will help them study so they stay in one place for three days studying. This is a myth because research from author Evan Ponter, who writes on surviving college life, suggests that moving around while studying increases the brain’s ability to remember information. The brain will remember information better if it remembers the setting that the information was retained in.

A tip to fix this habit would be to move to a different studying location every time, while still being in an quiet and focused environment.

4. Reading over notes is the best way to study. While students may have  their own tips and tricks that help them get the better grade, there really isn’t a best or worst way to study. Many people believe that reading over their notes is the key to success, that is false. Reading over the notes you have taken will benefit you, but not as much as writing down key terms, or saying them aloud. Studies have shown that the brain keeps information longer if it has been repeated a multiple number of times.

One way to bust this myth is to simply repeat and recite key terms or concepts to commit them to memory.

5. You cannot study more than one subject at a time. Hearing this myth for the first time, it is confusing to think studying multiple subjects at a time could benefit anyone. Studies show that spending too much consecutive time studying can do more harm than help. It is important to study multiple subjects for short bursts of time to keep your memory sharp, and  stop the brain from getting tired of one subject.

Sometimes studying correctly is the best way to make the grade. Changing studying habits may be hard, but it is probably easier than explaining a failed history exam to your parents!