How to Use the Notes

Okay, you got your hands on those precious study guides and notes! Now what?

Well, download them. It's free!

BUT don't think having the notes is the same as studying them! Still, I have faith in you, so here's what you should do!

Know what you need.

First off, know the difference between the kinds of notes available. Of course, the notes are provided from students to students, so not every single study guide is going to look the same or include the same things, and there might be the occasional misspelling or two. But that's not the point here. The point is, these are summaries from people who took the class at most two years ago; they know exactly what you went through and did the exam.

Most of the notes are in the form of summaries of the entire course with detailed unit summaries, which is very useful if you're reviewing quickly for a unit test or preparing for a midterm, a mock, or a final. However, if you want a deeper dive into the subjects, there are some chapter/unit guides that have a lot more detail.

Use more than one resource.

Hopefully, you haven't left everything to the last minute. (If you have, we got you!) So, use more than one source, your own notes, your teacher's slides, prep books (though some are better than others), and YouTube videos. Know how you learn best and use that to your advantage.

Study with other people.

Studying with friends can be extremely unproductive. One minute, you're looking for a video to explain the Crebs Cycle; next thing you know, you're knee-deep into YouTube videos from 2013. But, with the right people and the right mood, studying with other people can be very, very helpful. The best way you can learn the material is by explaining it to someone else. It sounds crazy, but it's true. I've been doing it my entire life to anyone willing to listen.

Create a plan.

Even if you don't plan on following it exactly, having an outline of what you need to do helps calm you and put you in the right direction. So have some fun with it. Make it colorful. Get some erasable markers and write it on your mirror or window. You don't have to take it seriously, but keep it within your view. Unless you're studying AP World, then follow that thing like it's the instructions to turning on your life support.

Spending more than seven continuous hours studying the same things is wrong.

Unless you're completing a 200-page essay, reading a 300-page book, or pulling a mandatory all-nighter for something you procrastinated till the last minute, and now it is due at 11:59 pm, and you've given up on finding a way on TikTok to change the Google Classroom time zone. Spending more than 3 hours continuously studying is pointless. Nothing is going into your brain. You might as well have sat in your bed and watched TikToks. Nope, don't do it. Take a break and do something for yourself: make dinner, go to the gym, eat some ice cream, watch a stupid show. BUT go back to studying eventually. IF you're not leaving everything to the last minute, this will work perfectly.

Don't Stay up Late, Wake Up Early

I get it. We all do it, but we really shouldn't. There's nothing suckier than going to a test hungry, sleepy, exhausted, and with a raging headache. Do you really think you're going to do well like that? Once it's 9 or 10 and you realize you might have to pull an all-nighter, don't. Go to bed and wake up earlier than you usually do to give yourself a few hours to work. I swear your work will come out 100% better and will be 100 times easier to do. Unless you're the kind of person who hits the snooze button too often, then, well, drink some tea!

Chill.

So you might fail this quiz, this test, this whole class, maybe, who cares? You do, and so do your parents. I get it. It's hard not to care and not to feel frustrated when your attempts don't lead you where you want them to. However, panicking and freaking out won't get you anywhere. You can do this because there are people who believe in you and want you to succeed. So, just keep going. You'll get there eventually. And if you don't, then it's okay. There are better things down the road for you.

Good luck!

- Haya