Utilize LinkedIn Learning to ace your final exams

Learning is vital, and a key part of the learning process, for many subjects, is studying. We’ve been taught many important lessons throughout our lives, and when it comes to school, many of us have never been taught how to study. LinkedIn Learning has your back when it comes to learning study skills so you are completely prepared for your exams.

In the “Learning Study Skills” video program, Paul Nowak, who teaches speed reading and memory improvement at NASA and Google, guides you through proven study tips to help you ace your final exams. Watch these short LinkedIn Learning videos to help you hone in on your study skills. 

Note-taking tips
“Have you ever bought a used college textbook and noticed ridiculous amounts of highlighting?” Nowak says. “This is one of the biggest issues when it comes to notetaking—people get caught up in the details.” Nowak suggests keeping the 80/20 rule in mind while studying, which means spending 80% of your time reading and 20% of your time taking notes. To make the most of your time, wait to take notes or highlight sections until you’ve finished reading the passage. This helps you to summarize and highlight vital sections.

Re-reading your notes
In this 3-minute video, Nowak explains that successful studying starts with doing a broad overview of your notes, reviewing the main points from your notes, and prioritizing which main points you are the least familiar with. By reading the previews and overviews of each chapter in your textbooks, you’ll be able to review which topics you need to brush up on the most and only fully re-read the sections that require the most review.

How to make sense of reading passages in exams
In just two minutes, Nowak takes you through a simple three-step process for scoring better on reading-based exams. Read the first sentence of each paragraph in the passage to get a well-rounded summary of the passage. Then, scan all questions before reading the passage fully so you know what details to focus on. Don’t waste your time reading the multiple-choice options because the incorrect answers might confuse you as you read the passage.

Preparing for exam day
Nowak explains that on the day of your exam, avoid consuming too much caffeine as it causes jitters and your energy might crash during the exam. Instead, eat a healthy well-balanced meal with plenty of protein and fiber, and bring plenty of water to keep yourself energized and alert throughout your exam. Before taking your exam, take some time to preview the entire test to determine how and where you should prioritize your time. Nowak includes even more helpful tips for calming exam day nerves in this “tips for the day of the exam” video.

LinkedIn Learning is here to support all your learning needs. If you have upcoming exams or want to learn new skills and software, you can access over 5,000 courses to start learning for free as a member of the Rutgers community.

This story was originally published on April 21, 2023.