With final exams coming up beginning in a couple of days for students at Weyburn Comprehensive School, running January 25th to the 30th, we wanted to help them out with some tried-and-true study methods from members of the community.

While some already have their studying skills honed, some may be at a loss for 'what works' for them.

Jennifer Rae said finding out how you learn best, whether it be by hearing (auditory), reading (visual), doing (hands-on) or note-making/rewriting (self-instruction), your own learning style can even be a mix of all of these.

"Once you know what works for you, you can hack your exams and even your jobs!" she said.

Nicole Zahorodni recommends taking notes, and then highlighting the key points.

"Read through the material the day of," she noted. "It's how I've been achieving 90's in my uni course."

Shane McKnight echoes her: "I would take notes, then right after the class rewrite them more concisely. Then a couple of days before the test, rewrite them smaller and even more concise. Then I could look at them, and be able to expand them just with the prompt of the topic."

Samantha Dixon agrees, finding what works for you is key. "If flashcards help, do flashcards. If pneumonics help, make pneumonics. If drawing/visual representation helps, do that. If hearing things helps, record yourself and listen to that in downtime."

"What works for someone else, isn't a guaranteed solution for you, so don't get discouraged."

Jen Wasylkowski said, "the Quizlet app is awesome! It really was my son's favourite option. Had a bit of everything on it, no matter your favourite studying method!"

"A lot of people go on TikTok live and say 'study with me for one hour', keeping them accountable," she added.

She also suggested online study groups. 

"They set a timer, set up their cameras and it's literally the top of peoples' heads for one hour, then a collective social break for 15 minutes," she explained. "There's tutoring opportunities at a cost but the study times are free for most of the virtual groups."

Amy Kaufmann said, "Put down the laptop and hand write notes, cue cards, and rehearse! Never just study the night before."

Rini Hoffman advises reading everything over and writing out the important things on recipe cards, as writing it reinforces what you've read.

A couple of interesting 'unconventional tips were also given, such as Robyn Glasser's suggestion to, "Chew gum while studying and chew the same flavor while taking the test. Memory is strongly linked to smell!"

Robyn Vilcu advises listening to classical music, which has been proven to help the brain remember what you've learned while studying. 

The Weyburn Public Library is hosting a 'Study with a Smoothie' event on Monday. Find details HERE.