Tis the season. Summers almost here, but for most that also means stress and some even AP tests. Many have been stressed about their upcoming tests. During this time many either stay up way too late and study way too many hours on end to stay. Others might not even study at all. Here are some tips and tricks to help you not only with remembering content better but also to be more efficient with your time.

The first tip is to sleep. Big tests can be stressful, but the lack of sleep can make it even harder to focus, even affecting your memory, overall affecting your test performance.  It’s just as important to rest and give yourself breaks as it is to study. Make sure you leave sports, meals, and family time along with some self-time to time without studies. This can help reduce stress and by giving yourself a break, it can help you focus and even understand and remember the content easier due to there not being intense pressure on your brain by overloading it with a lot of content without a break.

Also, avoiding distractions such as TV’s, phones and other electronics can help you focus on studying. However, quiet music can help some focus and even remember the content. Remember, what works for some might not work for others. A simple but effective trick to remember content is chewing gum. If you chew gum while studying and chew the same flavor during the test, it’s scientifically proven to help you remember the content.

Another easy trick is scribbling on a paper while reading. This tricks your brain into thinking it’s writing the content, which is also another scientifically proven way to improve people’s test scores. Even simply writing out content is much more effective than typing it.

Also, studying with small groups is another good way to study. This allows for new things to pop up and forces you to go out of your comfort zone and get unexpected questions from them. It also gives different viewpoints and ways of doing things in different ways that may be easier and or more beneficial for you. Flashcards are another great study material. This is a great way to help memorization and organization.

Just remember to stay focused, leave time for rest, stay organized, and be confident and you should do well on any test you take. Also, what works for others might not work for you, so try new things and be open to new ideas.