Worried about that big test coming up soon? Got finals, the SAT or even the GMAT causing your stress levels to rise and your heart to beat faster and faster every day? Here are some tips to ensure you prepare the best way possible so that you can take your test with your head high, confident of your cognitive abilities.

Don’t cram all of your studying in the day before, or even two days before. Studies show that it is best to study little by little, every night for at least a few days. This will help you remember things more easily and ensures that you give yourself ample time to prepare for every question a test may throw at you. Cramming it all in the night before will only make it more difficult to retain all of the information and may also cause you to lose sleep and raise stress levels as you rush to study everything hours before the start of your exam.

Get a good night’s sleep the day before your test. Studies prove that much of the memory retention you have occurs during sleep, so in order for you to benefit most from your studying you have to sleep so that the information can soak into your mind. A good nights rest will always leave you feeling refreshed, energized and sharp in the morning: perfect test taking mode. You should also be sure to eat a big breakfast, as this will help keep you focused on the task at hand instead of allowing your mind to wander while your test sits idly in front of you, the clock ticking away…

During the test, be sure to pace yourself accordingly. Chances are you have a limited amount of time to test, so you should be sure to skip over the questions that initially give you trouble so you are sure to make it to all of the problems you know with confidence.

Remember to relax in the days leading up to the test as well. The second you start to freak out over the test is the second you start to lose focus and concentration, and eventually it may cause you to lose points. If you stay optimistic about things and remain focused and poised, you stand a much better chance of studying efficiently and effectively. Relaxing before a test will also set your mind at ease—you need to be sure that you remain grounded when the time comes so that you can delve into the depths of your memory and pull out the answer that you know is lurking in there somewhere.

guest written by John J. Walters

At the risk of sounding a little bit too proud of ourselves, it is with great pleasure that I announce that TestSoup has just been linked by yet another community college as a preferred method for test prep.  This brings our total to about 25, a modest beginning to what we plan on making an ever-expanding project of offering affordable, mobile test prep to the masses, much like community colleges have done to provide higher education to people short on time and tuition dollars.

This may come as something of a surprise, but it’s actually fairly difficult to get schools and universities to sign on.  Sure, they see the benefits and the price is right (often we offer them free access), but the adoption of new technology is somehow seen as a bad thing.  They are wary, and to a certain extent I can understand that.

I’m sure everyone can recall teachers we had in high school who insisted that we buy specific supplies (perhaps a 1.5” 3-ring binder) for their class.  These are the old-school; the folks who insist that students learn best “the old fashioned way.”  And I have to admit, flashcards that you can access on your laptop or on your smartphone don’t exactly fall into this category.

But there is a lot of evidence suggesting that “the old fashioned way” is not always the best way, especially when it comes to learning.  More and more schools are incorporating computers into the daily activities of students, and not just for typing papers or preparing spreadsheets.  Technology helps engage students directly in ways that one teacher cannot possibly hope to do with a full classroom.

Take a look at what Columbia University has to say about “What We Know about How Students Learn.”  Sure, there’s nothing in there about mobile flashcards and they don’t mention TestSoup by name, but they might as well.  They say that students learn best when they are interested enough to work outside of class, that learning is a gradual process that involves student initiative, and that information is retained best when learning is an active process.

Maybe I am a bit biased, but what better way to engage students than through the technology they use constantly — computers and, even more so, their phones?  Isn’t giving them instant access to flashcards the easiest way to make learning part of the daily routine?  And don’t flashcards with detailed explanations qualify as an “active process” that demands students to think rather than simply memorize?

Perhaps this explains why Brian Reese, our founder, said, “It’s been hit or miss, but the ones that do link us are partners for life.”  Overcoming the initial resistance to new educational technology is hard, but TestSoup has a strong case to make for itself, and once made, is one that cannot easily be refuted.

                Recently, an article was published regarding the rising costs of undergraduate college admissions. Between expensive school visits, application fees, SAT costs, tutor expenses, and admissions consultants, now getting into a distinguished undergraduate program is more stressful and expensive than ever. Not only that, but many private programs are reaching $50,000 per year, plus food, books, house-ware necessities like bedding, and graduation fees. While many students and parents already feel the strain of undergraduate costs, many others are starting to worry about the rising costs of graduate school admissions, as well.

                Just when you’re finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and also the mountain of debt that’s waiting for you after graduation, now you start to look for a career; however, many undergraduate programs leave students with limited career options. Many, but not all, programs that students aspire to get into require acceptance into graduate school or a graduate degree. Thus, the big question now comes into the picture: how am I going to afford this?

                GRE tutors can cost up to $5500 for a program, while signing up for the GRE costs an additional $160, plus score submitting fees for each school that you apply to. You still haven’t even paid the $100 application fees for each graduate school program, and have you tried to find a scholarship yet? While some firms pay for portions of graduate school, many of the tuition reimbursement programs have dwindled over recent years as firms have battled the financial crisis. So now what?

                It seems as though competition for the best schools is now about the money, rather than the qualifications. For those students who have the abilities, but not the cash to conquer grad school: there’s definitely hope. Financial aid programs provide financial grants to students who really need them. While this doesn’t eliminate looming loans completely, it does take off a bit of the burden. Furthermore, it is common for students take time off between undergraduate and graduate work. This is a great opportunity to save up for the future expenses, and also gain some field experience. You might not be in the job of your dreams for a couple of years, but you can still surround yourself with relevant work that will help you out in grad school coursework and also help you catch up on the undergraduate loans. There are also teachers’ assistant positions, research positions at schools, and a few external scholarships available to help ease the burden. Many schools waive or reduce application fees for college seniors, as well.

                While the costs of grad school can be overwhelming, there are opportunities out there for everyone. Some students may not need a $5,000 test prep instructor to do well on the GMATs or GREs, and can settle for a free or much cheaper set of online flashcards. (Hey, we’re just here to help you guys.) In the end, you just have to explore your options, keep an organized budget, and take the time to find the cost-cutting opportunities out there.

Over the years, technology has progressed in a way that has taken over almost every aspect of our lives, this includes everything from how we communicate with our friends (texting only, phone calls are not cool), to even the way we study.  And with all of these technological advances, life seems to have become easier; we have our e-mail at our finger tips, we can even order groceries virtually, but do all of the technology perks really help students study?

As a second semester senior, I have grown up with the advances and changes in technology.  I can remember my first cell phone, the screen was not even in color, and now my phone is in color, I can search the internet and even use it as a GPS system.  I have embraced technology as much as the next person my age; I Facebook regularly (too regularly in fact), I tweet almost daily and obtain my news from the web.  I cannot seem to make the plunge to using my computer for studying.

Numerous students surrounding me in my classes use their laptops in place of notebooks and pens to take notes of the lectures in class; I just cannot seem to make the change.  I need to print readings out instead of reading them off the screen, I need to feel the paper and be able to write all over the handouts; writing on my computer screen just would not be the same.  Copying down the notes on paper and making myself write them gives me a peace of mind that I am learning the material.  Mindlessly typing is easy enough, add that to the multi-tasking of checking my email, and checking my Facebook friends new statuses and pictures and I could not possibly learn anything! 

On the other hand, teachers and administrators are looking for ways to incorporate technology in their curriculum to appeal to their students.  My teachers have recently assigned quizzes as well as homework assignments online.  The convenience of setting quizzes and homework online with a time restriction takes the extra time out of the lesson and forces students to complete the task on their own time.  I do have trouble with the online assignments, and have to resort to ‘translating’ it to pen and paper, but I can make the compromise.  TestSoup makes the compromise easy, as I can write down the flashcard information that I have trouble memorizing to aid in the learning process.  Many of my friends have accepted TestSoup’s GRE flashcards to prepare for the next phase of their loves and have accepted and enjoyed using the application. It saves them a great deal of time and energy since they already have the flashcards made and handy wherever they have their phone.  Technology complemented with hands-on learning is definitely the way I go.