Because most hard-working students don't know how to study, and a lot of "less-effort" students do.
Ok, sure, there are differences in natural academic proclivity, intelligence levels, etc. But as a certified study-skills tutor, I can assure you that very few students actually know _how_ to study, and waste most of their time staring vacantly at textbooks, trying to digest way too much info in one sitting, and confusing themselves. They end up feeling like they worked very, very hard, but they still don't grasp the material. Students who know how to study properly can get more benefit in a fraction of the time, but look to others like they aren't working as hard. (Any student I tutored in study skills suddenly found that they grasped the material extremely quickly, had exponentially more free time, and went from Cs and Ds to Bs and As.)
While the best study methods vary from person to person, generally speaking, if you are starting the night before the test, it's probably too late. If you're in a jam, though, the trick is not to read things, but to write them down (with a pen, not on your computer!). Make diagrams, drawings, and flow-charts (works for any subject, even foreign languages.) If you're in a subject where you'll need to solve problems or formula (most maths, chemistry, etc.), work problems. Go back and redo every problem you ever got wrong on your homework. If you have sample problems in your text that have answers, do those. If not, many websites offer you problems with explained answers. In humanities subjects, you mainly need to write down as much as you can about the subject. Start out by making a list of everything you think you'll need to know, without worrying about organizing. Now try outlining everything. Now write each of the headings you used on the top of a new sheet of paper. Write a paragraph or short essay (3 par. max) about that subject under the heading. Compare what you wrote with your class notes and books. Make any corrections. Now write another short essay, without looking at any of your notes. When it's done, compare it again. Make another outline. Repeat, until you feel like you know everything there is to know. If you need to memorize lists, write them down. Define them. Write them down again in a different order. Define them without looking at any of your other notes. Use each item in a sentence, etc.
If you want to get great grades and never study, you have to live with the material. Some people do this naturally, without ever noticing it; these are people that often look like low-effort, high-grade students. You can become one! One way to do this is the fact-card method. After (or during) every class, take out a 3x5 notecard and jot down any major points that might come up later (formula, definitions, historical events, theories, titles of books, etc.) Do not put more than five facts on each card; do not use more than three cards per class per day. (You'll quickly get the hang of figuring out what is important to remember) That night, re-read your notecard two or three times (it takes about 10 minutes to do a whole day's worth.) The next time you go to that class, reread your notecards from the previous class beforehand. After class, read them again before making your new card. At the end of the week, re-read all your notecards for the semester. Do the same thing for any reading you might have to do. Do not repeat facts--if it's on one notecard, do not write it again. By the end of the term, you will have spent just a few hours-total!-studying, but you will have a fantastic grasp on the material. (There are many other ways, but this is an easy one that works for most people.)
To prepare for an exam or test, remember that it's not enough to just read. If you've been living with the material, you should already have terrific recall, and there's really no need to spend hours studying. What you mainly want to do is find a way to focus your knowledge and prepare your mind for the test and to get rid of any test anxiety. Looking over your cards is a good start, but now try to organize things. What you need to do is write things down--this is how they'll make their way to your brain. Find a quiet place, free from distractions. Write out--with a pen, not a keyboard--an outline of the information, organizing it logically. Refer to your notes and textbooks, and fill in details. Speaking out loud, explain things to yourself, as though you were explaining it to someone who never heard of it. If there's anything you don't feel comfortable with, make a drawing, diagram, or flow-chart, or write a short paragraph about it, and compare it with your notes and textbook. Solve any sample problems, or answer any sample questions you might have, in great detail. When you go to the test, take your outline and notes with you, and look them other and re-read them until the test begins. Generally, that's all you'll need--if that much. I (and the students I tutored) usually spent about an hour-and-a-half preparing the night before.
It may sound like a lot of work (written down like this) but it translates to about 30-45 minutes of daily prep--total, for all your subjects put together--and 1-2 hours pre-test. Compare that to the hour-a-night most colleges recommend, and the six-eight hours weekly, plus all-night cram sessions most students actually end up using.
Hope this helps!
Comments
How to go about learning is the thing least often taught.
by Aminor on June 12th, 2005
Excellent answer.
by Jodie44 on October 3rd, 2006
who certified you?
by purplecows on December 24th, 2009