Sometimes when I keep confusing two concepts or idealogies, I find a really dumb acronym or visual or try to think of other words that one the word sounds like to help me distinguish it from the other idea (Roy G. Biv–you know, colors of the rainbow…as a well known example) —this might sound really stupid but it really works for me! It’s called mnemonics, and it’s a way to help you remember abstract things. Google it.

Mostly though, I just make study sheets. I re-read the material, go over quizzes and written assignments and jot down everything that seems important. Then I go over it again and again until I know it all. Usually I only have to go over it once, maybe twice because once I’ve written it down it sticks in my head. I just make sure I clearly understand all the concepts, and if I don’t I find the professor and ask for clarification before the test.

Another thing that helps too if you have a lot of books to read, and you start doing this at the beginning of the term..is to make notes in the margins while you’re reading. Highlighting and underlining is overrated, in my opinion. Every time you read something important, or that you don’t understand, or that makes you think about something else, underline it and then write whatever it is you think in the margins. That way later when you’re studying you can just flip through the book and look for pages that you’ve hopefully marked. Putting those little tape flags in books helps too.