Prepmedians Blog

Tag: Guide

  • Prepmedians Reviews

    Prepmedians Reviews

    Prepmedians Reviews

    Are you searching for Prepmedians Reviews to answer the question “Is Prepmedians worth it?” We’ve got you covered!

    We pride ourselves in our amazing Prepsters who have not only CRUSHED their SATs/ACTs but also fallen in love with learning. They have discovered how capable they truly are. They will carry this confidence into all that they will accomplish in their incredible lives.

    Below, check out real Prepmedians reviews from Prepsters!

    Be sure to watch the videos linked below each Prepster! Prepmedians is the only test prep company on the market with actual video reviews from students, so check them out!

    Then, claim your dream SAT/ACT score here!

    Prepmedians ACT Reviews

    Casey Simpson (increased 25 percentile points on the ACT, scored 34 on the ACT, 36 on ACT Reading)

    Screen Shot 2024-03-04 at 4.32.03 PM   “Prepmedians helped me so much prepare for the ACT and eventually get a 34 on it. Reading was my worst section originally. But after practice, it became the section I got a 36 on. Thank you, Prepmedians!”    
    5 stars        

    Note: Although you may recognize Casey as a famous actor from Nickelodeon’s Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn, he is NOT acting here! He truly used Prepmedians to CRUSH his ACT, and now he is enrolled at Duke University. He enthusiastically volunteered to make this video review for us and was not paid for doing so.

    Watch Video Review!

    Casey’s Prepmedians Review:

    “What do you call a kid who goes from a 74th-percentile ACT score to a 99th-percentile ACT score? A Prepster!

    Prepmedians helped me so much prepare for the ACT and eventually get a 34 on it. Reading was my worst section originally. But after practice, it became the section I got a 36 on. Thank you, Prepmedians!

    If you want to prepare for the ACT or SAT, want to crush the test, and want to watch some funny videos too, then Prepmedians is a great, great resource for you to use.

    And that is a Fire Fact.”

    Emma (increased 5 points on the ACT, scored 34)

    emma   “Luckily on test day, my score, which was stuck at a 29, was able to improve to a 34, and that was thanks to Prepmedians.”    
    5 stars        

    Watch Video Review!

    Emma’s Prepmedians Review:

    “When I started studying for the ACT, my score was staying stuck at a 29. I tried book after book, and nothing was helping to improve my score.

    However, I found Prepmedians on TikTok, and I decided to give it a shot. I found that their videos were fun and enjoyable to watch, and studying became so much easier because I enjoyed doing it.

    Luckily on test day, my score, which was stuck at a 29, was able to improve to a 34, and that was thanks to Prepmedians.”

    Twainia (increased 10 points on the ACT English)

    twainia   “Prepmedians truly helped me improve my ACT English score by 10 points from a 16 to a 26!”    
    5 stars        

    Watch Video Review!

    Twainia’s Prepmedians Review:

    “Prepmedians truly helped me improve my ACT English score by 10 points from a 16 to a 26!

    I used Prepmedians to finally understand content that I did not understand before. There were many grammar rules that they went over that I never really understood in school, especially as an immigrant, but now I finally understand.

    While watching the videos, unlike school, I was actually willing to watch without feeling tired because they have truly hilarious and great videos. I really felt warm watching the videos too because I truly felt like there were people who supported me through a screen. One more thing: “Believe in yourself because I certainly do.”

    Connor (increased 3 points on the ACT, scored 35)

    Connor 35   “I 100% recommend Prepmedians. My ACT score has increased from a 32 to a 35 in fewer than 4 weeks through the skill-building videos and practice questions!”    
    5 stars        

    Watch Video Review!

    Connor’s Prepmedians Review:

    “I 100% recommend Prepmedians. My ACT score has increased from a 32 to a 35 in fewer than 4 weeks through the skill-building videos and practice questions!

    Prepmedians has made learning fun and extremely effective.”

    Ruchita (increased 9 points on the ACT English, scored 33)

    ruchita   “Prepmedians is simply the best test preparation company! They’ve helped me increase my score by 9 points on the ACT English section!”    
    5 stars        

    Watch Video Review!

    Ruchita’s Prepmedians Review:

    “Prepmedians is simply the best test preparation company! They’ve helped me increase my score by 9 points on the ACT English section!

    My score went from a 24 to a 33 after two weeks of using Prepmedians daily! I was beyond excited to see a huge amount of growth all because of the awesome Prepmedians.com’s brilliant platform.

    I’m more than grateful to have them as a part of my high school journey. They will always hold a special place in my heart. Prepmedians are my superheroes!”

    Other ACT Prepsters!

    act 7 points act lizzie 35 act composite 33
    act vaishnavi act 30 to 32 act night before

    Prepmedians SAT Reviews

    Sarah (scored a 1580)

    sarah   “I scored a 1580 on the SAT because I used Prepmedians!”    
    5 stars        

    Watch Video Review!

    Sarah’s Prepmedians Review:

    “I scored a 1580 on the SAT because I used Prepmedians!

    My Prepmedians lesson plan showed me exactly what I had to accomplish each week, so I could focus my mental energy on learning and building test-taking confidence.

    The videos are not only fun to watch but they’re also educational!

    Plus, the customer service is so fast and helpful.

    I’ve got nothing but the warmest of feelings towards Prepmedians given all that they’ve done for me.

    Thank you, thank you, thank you.“

    Alyssa (increased 350 points on the SAT, scored a 1450)

    alyssa   “My SAT score went up 350 points! It went from an 1100 to a 1450, which is insane to me!”    
    5 stars        

    Watch Video Review!

    Alyssa’s Prepmedians Review:

    “My SAT score went up 350 points! It went from an 1100 to a 1450, which is insane to me!

    Prepmedians has saved my SAT score.

    They present the information in such a logical and clear way. It really makes sense in my brain.

    Plus it’s entertaining.

    I am eternally grateful. They are incredible!”

    Abrahim (increased 220 points on the SAT, scored 1490)

    Abrahim   “Using Prepmedians for a single month, I saw an increase of more than 200 points on my SAT score, and I scored a 1490 on the August 27th SAT exam.”    
    5 stars        

    Watch Video Review!

    Abrahim’s Prepmedians Review:

    “Using Prepmedians for a single month, I saw an increase of more than 200 points on my SAT score, and I scored a 1490 on the August 27th SAT exam.

    Over the past year or so, I’ve gone through SAT practice books, and I’ve answered hundreds of SAT practice questions, but none of these materials helped me get the really difficult concepts to really stick.

    One day I came across Prepmedians on my ForYouPage, and I decided to check it out. Prepmedians not only presents all the difficult topics that I couldn’t understand but they also have a comedic aspect in their videos and in their explanations that helps me make connections during the test like, for example, an acronym or a joke.

    I think getting Prepmedians was probably one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”

    John (increased 250 points on the SAT)

    john   “Prepmedians covers 100% of what’s on the SAT, which helped me boost my SAT score by 250 points”    
    5 stars        

    Watch Video Review!

    John’s Prepmedians Review:

    “Who needs to cheat on the SAT when there’s Prepmedians? Prepmedians covers 100% of what’s on the SAT, which helped me boost my SAT score by 250 points! It helped a lot, especially with grammar. Prepmedians “

    Kevin (increased 110 points on the SAT, scored a 1460)

    Kevin   “Prepmedians’ tips and strategies not only helped my score a lot but also gave me the confidence I needed to score a 1460.”    
    5 stars        

    Watch Video Review!

    Kevin’s Prepmedians Review:

    “Going into the SAT, I wasn’t sure how it would go. But as soon as I got to the Reading and Writing section, I felt more confident because of Prepmedians.

    Prepmedians’ tips and strategies not only helped my score a lot but also gave me the confidence I needed to score a 1460.

    What sets them apart from other organizations is the fact that you actually enjoy your time studying for the SAT with them.”

    Other SAT Prepsters!

    sat logan sat kate sat 1500 josh
    sat james biser sat tanish patel sat maya

    More Kind Words

    sat michael duke thank you incredible platform 17 years school

    Check out MANY more Prepmedians reviews here!

  • Stress: How to Deal with It

    Stress: How to Deal with It

    Stress Management

    Whether you’re a genius or you’re in your senior year and already have a job lined up, you will feel stressed at some point in your college career. Honestly speaking, you probably will feel stressed multiple times throughout your college career. But feeling stressed isn’t a bad thing. Diamonds are formed under pressure, but to be that diamond, you can’t crack under the pressure: you need to manage your stress effectively. These are some stress-management tips to help manage your stress effectively.

    #1. Don’t Study Too Much

    For all my fellow Econ majors out there, you’ll know something called diminishing marginal returns. For those that don’t know, think of these two options:

    • You can pull an all-nighter the night before the test and study for an additional 8 hours.
    • You can split those 8 additional hours into 4 two-hour time blocks that you’ll study sometime during the weekend.

    Which one would you choose? I know the second option is brutal because many students reserve their weekend for having fun and clearing their mind, but the second option is superior to the first option in terms of productivity. Think about it, do you really think that 7th hour in your study session will be all that productive? Your brain can only handle so much, and at a certain point, the quality of your studying/work will decline. This is diminishing marginal returns: at a certain point, your marginal productivity will start to decrease. When encountered with a lot of work, you should still put in the time to study and do work, but it’s important to make a good schedule that includes regular breaks.

    #2. Get Enough Sleep

    Say you do write yourself a good schedule, and you’ve already studied a lot. It’s approaching midnight, but you still want to study more because you’re not confident. Is it worth it to stay up and study? Most of the times, no, it isn’t. Trust me, I’ve had weeks where I have two consecutive days of exams, and I only sleep 5-6 hours. If you don’t get enough sleep, your body will only run on energy boosters, and it isn’t sustainable. Not to mention, you’ll reach a certain point where those energy boosters aren’t effective anymore, and you start falling asleep while you study.

    Shortening the amount you sleep can increase your stress level in addition to not being able to fully focus because you’re so sleepy. In addition, insufficient sleep can put you at risk for serious illnesses like diabetes, obesity, and depression. It’s important to have a stable sleep schedule in college, regardless of whether it is a crunch week or not.

    #3. Avoid Energy Boosters as Much as Possible

    To be honest, many college students will use energy boosters, and it’s so ingrained in college life, that it’s almost impossible to not rely on it at one point or another. The key is to ration your use. You don’t want to get to the point where you are reliant on energy boosters. I have a friend who drinks at least 5-6 cups of coffee a day, and not only does it kill his bank account, but he also relies on coffee to get any work done.

    Something that I have done is to only drink coffee, Redbull, Monster, or whatever energy booster if I’m low on energy during a crunch week. There have been times where I have gone overboard on relying on energy boosters as mentioned previously, and I felt really jittery, stressed, and ended up rushing through all my work/studying. 1 or 2 drinks every now and then won’t kill you but relying on it excessively will only increase stress.

    #4. Don’t Skip Meals and Eat Well

    The most popular form in college of skipping meals is skipping breakfast. Skipping breakfast comes in all shapes and sizes. You want that extra studying time in the morning so you skip breakfast. You want more sleep since you were studying late last night so you skip breakfast. You think that apple that you have in your room is good enough so you skip breakfast. Skipping meals is a popular strategy employed by college students, but it only leads to you being de-energized, leading to a lower threshold for stress.

    Note: A Dominoes delivery or whatever snack you can find in the vending machine isn’t going to be an effective meal. Unfortunately, even in college, you have to eat your vegetables. You should follow a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.

    #5. Take Time to Enjoy Yourself

    Don’t give up your passions. Exercise. Relax with friends. You get through crunch weeks through those times of enjoyment and relaxation. Going out to eat, going for a walk, or watching a movie during a crunch week with some friends may seem silly, but it’s important to relieve your stress. I like to deal with crunch weeks by having something to look forward to at the end. At the end of this study session, I’ll go get some ice cream, or at the end of this crunch week, I’ll have a barbecue. It doesn’t matter what you do or when you have these pastimes: taking these pastimes will relieve stress and make crunch weeks much more bearable.

    Note: Many college students relieve stress through partying or drinking. This seems like a good way to relieve stress but drinking actually increases feelings of stress and anxiety. That’s not to say that you should ignore going out and having fun but make sure you aren’t drinking excessively and relying on drinking as a way to relieve stress.

    Next Steps

    Crunch week and stress can get the better of many students, but it’s important to realize that just because a crunch week is approaching, you don’t have to make sacrifices in your life and daily routine. Applying the right strategies will help you reduce stress and make those four years fly by!

    Are you in high school and feeling stressed about the college application process? One reason for that stress is the SATs or ACTs. Check out Prepmedians. We teach SAT/ACT test prep through sketch comedy and music so even in such a stressful time like the college application process, you’ll be able to laugh. We also divide our lessons into 15-20 minute blocks so it’s easier to schedule test prep time.

  • Sleep Deprivation in College

    Sleep Deprivation in College

    Causes of Sleep Deprivation

    Roommates

    Your college roommate can either become your best friend for life or your worst nightmare, and one determinant is your sleeping schedule compatibility with your college roommate. Some people are early birds, and others are night owls. You might find that your roommate snores too loudly, plays loud music, keeps the lights on, or invites friends over late at night. Even if you think you can handle your college roommate’s sleeping habits because y’all are friends, living with others is often not conducive to sleeping.

    Busy Schedules

    Some college students deal with 6 a.m. lifts/practices and meetings throughout the day. Others deal with part-time jobs. And even those that don’t do either, the normal college course load is plenty enough to keep college students busy. It’s common knowledge that many college students pull off all-nighters or late night study sessions to catch up on their work, and this is one determinant in sleep deprivation.

    Social Life

    Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) is real. Maybe you hear there’s a party going on. Or maybe your friends are hanging out and watching a movie in another friend’s room. Or maybe something happens as small as you overhear a conversation going on in the hallway. You don’t want to be the one to miss out on something fun and only see what happened the next morning on someone’s Snapchat or Instagram story. College is a place to learn, but it’s also a place to make lasting friendships. Unfortunately, too much socializing can get in the way of someone’s sleep.

    Alcohol

    Many people think alcohol is good for sleep. Even though alcohol does help you fall asleep more quickly, the resulting sleep will be restless and less effective than the sleep you would have gotten.

    No Curfew or Bedtime

    For students who are living on their own for the first time, the freedom of college often leads to staying up just because you can. Even if you don’t have anything pressing to do, you might end up staying up just to browse your social media, or you might start your 3rd rerun of your favorite sitcom. Although you might have thought you could live on our own when you were with your parents, poor self-care and daily schedules of college students often result in sleep deprivation.

    Consequences of Sleep Deprivation

    ### Sleep Deprivation Affects your Grades
    That one all-nighter before your midterm won’t largely impact your grades, but if sleep deprivation is a consistent thing in your college life, your grades will be affected. If you’re tired every day, you’re not going to retain information as effectively or write notes as well. You also might get to the point where you start falling asleep in classes or skipping classes to sleep.

    Sleep Deprivation Affects You Physically

    Sleep deprivation could negatively impact your immune system, resulting in making you more susceptible to common colds or the flu. And in turn, this results in you becoming even more sleep deprived since you will have a harder time falling asleep.

    Additionally, if you are a student-athlete, sleep deprivation can affect your athletic performance. There’s a children’s animated movie called Meet the Robinsons where (spoiler alert) the whole conflict is a result of an orphan’s roommate keeping him up late at night, so during the following day when he has a baseball game, he is unable to make the game-winning catch because he falls asleep from his sleep deprivation.

    Sleep Deprivation Affects Your Mood

    Not getting enough sleep will increase stress. A sleepless night can result in a greater risk at developing mental disorders like depression or anxiety. One may also feel irritable after a sleepless night. Just think of the annoyance you feel when your alarm rings in the morning but extend that annoyance through the day. Sleep deprivation can negatively impact your mood.

    Suggestions to Improve Sleep in College

    ### Free Up More Time for Yourself
    I know FOMO is real, and you want to do everything readily available in college, but if your social interactions start interrupting your sleeping schedule, it’s time to start considering prioritizing things. You don’t have to hang out in your friend’s room every night. Something that I do is no matter what, if I have class the next day, I go to my room by 11 p.m. and go to sleep by midnight.

    In addition, it’s important to realize how much free time you have on weekends and whether it’s worth allocating some time to study during the weekends.

    Compromise with Your Roommates

    Some of us are blessed to have compatible roommates, while others have to deal with that roommate who has 10 alarms in the morning. Perhaps you could set an alarm and wake your roommate up (not the most enticing compromise) or perhaps your roommate can start sleeping earlier so they won’t need 10 alarms in the morning. You won’t find the perfect solution immediately, but generally college roommates are willing to work together to make the living situation as comfortable for both parties as possible.

    Deal with Your Neighbors

    There are multiple ways to deal with your dorm. Perhaps listening to white noise while you sleep or wearing an eye mask may help you deal with your loud neighbors. You could also talk with your resident adviser or landlord, if living in an apartment, about how to best deal with the situation.

    The best way to deal with your neighbors is to talk to them directly. If it’s during quiet hours or late at night, if you politely ask your neighbors to “turn it down,” chances are that they’ll be understanding and compliant. You don’t want to contact security, authority, or any person in a position of power without first talking with your neighbors.

    Fix Your Sleeping Habits

    If you leave plenty of time to sleep during the night but can’t fall asleep, it might be time to look at your sleeping habits. Do you work or watch TV shows/movies in your bed? Do you consume caffeine, sugar, or spicy food at night? Are you distracted by your phone while attempting to sleep?

    I like to completely finish my studying for the day before I go back to my room at night. In addition, I like to put my phone under my pillow so I’m unable to see, feel, or hear the vibrations whenever I get a notification. Small lifestyle changes like these can make a huge impact on your sleep quality.

    Next Steps

    Ultimately, no matter what your schedule is, it is important and possible to sleep well in college. It may take some time and dedication, but you can achieve good sleep in college without sacrificing your grades or social life. You have to take charge and keep yourself accountable of your daily life and sleep schedule.

    Are you in high school and not getting enough sleep during the college application process? Check out Prepmedians. We teach SAT/ACT test prep through sketch comedy and music so even in such a busy and stressful time like the college application process, you’ll be able to laugh. We also divide our lessons into 15-20 minute blocks so it’s easier to schedule test prep time.

  • How to Revise an Essay

    How to Revise an Essay

    Food for Thought

    I remember my freshman English class vividly. It was called “Food for Thought,” and the texts we read for the class were about food. But what really stood out to me about the class was the system we had in place: we divided the class into groups of 4, and for each essay, we would have a rough draft we would present to our group, create another rough draft from the feedback of our group to present to our teacher, and then a final essay created from the feedback of our teacher. Obviously, not every class will have this built-in structure, but I found that this structure is the most conducive during the revision process.

    Here are some not-so-obvious aspects of this structure that will help during the revision process:
    # Read and Consider all Feedback
    For my scenario, I would almost always get better feedback from my teacher than from my peers. I mean, chances are, my peers are as bad in writing as I am so what’s the point of considering their feedback? But you might find that your peers may be able to give you constructive feedback that your teacher wouldn’t have given you because they have a different perspective. When revising, getting as many different perspectives to look over your text and provide you feedback will give you a lot to work off of.

    Another useful tip is reading other people’s essays and giving feedback. In my writing groups, I would often use some of the feedback I gave to my peers in my own essay. For instance, if I found my peer’s essay to not be cohesive and connect the ideas together, I would look to see if my essay had any of the same problems I saw in my peers’ essays.

    Feedback Guides, not Directs

    For one of my essays, the only feedback I got back from my teacher was to fix a few grammar mistakes. I fixed the mistakes, handed my essay in, and got back an A-. Just because you follow your teacher’s feedback or your peers’ feedback does not mean you are guaranteed an A on your paper. Feedback is supposed to guide you in potential improvements to your essay. You may find that you might not apply any of the feedback at all. You should look to see why your teacher or peer gave you feedback and how that feedback improves your essay. Obviously, you want to consider their feedback during the revision process, but you should also think of other potential changes based on the improvements of your essay.

    Next Steps

    Feeling stressed about upcoming essay due dates or exams? Check out our guide on how to deal with stress.

    Struggling with prepping for the SAT or ACT? Check out Prepmedians. We teach SAT/ACT test prep through sketch comedy and music so even during an arduous process like the SAT or ACT, you’ll be able to laugh. We also divide our lessons into 15-20 minute blocks so it’s easier to schedule test prep time.

  • How to Stop Procrastinating

    How to Stop Procrastinating

    1. Work in Time Blocks

    Few are able to do work for extensive periods of time. That’s why on the SAT or ACT, the testmakers give you breaks in the middle to help clear your mind so you can focus on the upcoming task. Working in time blocks adopts a similar mentality. Set a timer for an amount of time that allows you to accomplish tasks while still being bearable. When doing homework or studying, I like to take a small 5-10 minute break where I’ll go on social media or talk with friends every hour to an hour and a half as a refresher and to help focus on the next time block.

    2. Listen to Music

    Putting on headphones can help you focus and drown out the surrounding noises and distractions. You don’t necessarily have to listen to anything – just the act of having headphones on can put you in your own world and sends a message to people who see you to not disturb you. I like to listen to music while studying because the song oftentimes helps me retain information since I associate the information with the song I’m listening to. Check out our suggestions on some music to listen to while studying. Note that not all music is helpful when studying and can oftentimes result in less efficient studying.

    3. Make Sure You’re Getting Enough Sleep

    One of the most common excuses of procrastination is that you’re too tired. You stay in bed all day instead of doing anything productive. This is in large part because you didn’t get enough sleep and aren’t energized to get anything done. Make sure you’re getting the amount of sleep you need and that you’re sleeping environment is conducive to a good night’s sleep – lights are off, a quiet environment, electronics off, etc.

    4. Take a 20 Minute Nap

    This can oftentimes be an excuse to procrastinate but taking a short nap can help improve your mood and increase your productivity. At Google, they have napping pods in their offices to help their employees feel energized – a testament to how effective napping can be to one’s productivity. Obviously, you can’t go overboard with napping, but a short 20 minute nap is the perfect balance between feeling energized and not feeling too groggy.

    5. Exercise and Do Other Commitments Earlier in the Day

    Exercising or errands can oftentimes be a nice refresher from doing work, but generally, people use these as excuses for procrastination. “I can’t study now because I have to go workout.” Once you’ve done your workout, you’re going to need to shower, and even then, you might feel too tired to study. Exercising early in the day gets your blood pumping and introduces endorphins, or happy hormones. This will help you feel more motivated later on the day when you’re studying or doing any other task.

    6. Figure Out Why You’re Procrastinating

    Everyone procrastinates for a different reason but figuring out why you do and overcoming it is extremely helpful. For me, a common reason is that I’ll notice that the due date isn’t for a while, or I have plenty of time to accomplish a task so I’ll leave things to the last minute. But if you think about it, spending a couple of hours on a project the week before it’s due isn’t a big deal, but those couple of hours saved on the project can be the difference between an all-nighter or a good night’s sleep the night before the project is due.

    Next Steps

    Everyone procrastinates to some capacity but limiting how much you procrastinate is the difference between getting your work done or not. Limiting procrastination only requires small lifestyle changes, but these small lifestyle changes can make a big difference.

    Are you in high school and procrastinating on test prep for the SAT/ACT? Check out Prepmedians. We teach SAT/ACT test prep through sketch comedy and music so you’ll look forward to prepping for the SAT or ACT instead of dreading it. We also divide our lessons into 15-20 minute blocks so it’s easier to schedule test prep time.

  • How to Tackle “Weed-Out” Classes and Other Difficult College Classes

    How to Tackle “Weed-Out” Classes and Other Difficult College Classes

    What is a “Weed-Out” Class?

    For those unfamiliar, a “weed-out” class is a specific class in a major (generally intro or lower level courses) that your college makes harder than normal to discourage students from continuing with the major. Although this may not seem fair, the thinking behind these courses is to separate the students who are genuinely interested in the course and those who aren’t. When students start to progress through their respective major and take harder classes and more advanced electives, then those who aren’t interested in the subject will struggle greatly. For instance, my college makes general chemistry the “weed-out” class for the chemistry major because if you decide to continue on with the major, then you’ll take harder courses like organic chemistry, which you’ll greatly struggle in. By having these weed-out courses, colleges allow students to get out of majors that they won’t like/will struggle in early.

    Tips:

    ## Stay Organized
    Staying organized is important in every class you take, but when you encounter especially hard classes in college, staying extra organized is really important. Staying organized will make your brain feel more organized. Also, harder college courses require notes and organization in order to do well. By staying organized, you won’t have to comb through a bunch of material when you’re studying. I recommend using notebooks, folders, binders, and flashcards to organize your notes. A really useful website that I use to study definitions is Quizlet.

    Read/Practice the Material Daily

    There are some courses when you can get by just studying the night before a test, and you are still able to do well. However, hard college courses will require you to look over the material on a daily basis. There’s a reason why you almost always have homework everyday. This isn’t a huge commitment: looking over your notes for 30 minutes a day is really all you need. This will not only help you perform better in these difficult classes but also will help reduce your stress come exam time since you’ll already have a good understanding of the material.

    Make the Material Interesting – Even If It Isn’t

    Times flies by when you’re having fun. This saying is even applicable to studying. Part of the reason why you’ll struggle with difficult college courses is because you just aren’t interested in the material. By not being interested in the material, you’re less motivated to study. In addition, you also won’t study as intently as if you were interested in the material. I didn’t enjoy the material in my financial accounting class, but I imagined how investors would use the balance sheets that accountants created to determine a company’s financial stability.

    Next Steps

    Every major has a difficult course. They’ll require a lot of effort on your part, and even then, you aren’t guaranteed an A. Don’t get discouraged if your class seems impossible. No professor or college wants you to fail so by putting in some effort and applying the right strategies, you can get through these hard college classes and ace them!

    Are you in high school and you feel stressed from the SAT/ACT is impossible? Check out Prepmedians. We teach SAT/ACT test prep through sketch comedy and music so even in such a stressful time like the college application process, you’ll be able to laugh. We also divide our lessons into 15-20 minute blocks so it’s easier to schedule test prep time.

  • 6 Ways to Improve Studying

    6 Ways to Improve Studying

    1. Create a Schedule

    Imagine going into a football game, and your coach tells you to score and not let the other team score. You’d probably quizzically look at your coach and ask how to score and not let the other team score. In sports and other parts of our lives, we always have a gameplan or a blueprint to success, yet when we study, we often don’t take a step back to plan our studying out, and instead, just dive right into studying.

    Before studying, you should schedule your study time. It doesn’t have to be that detailed, but something like studying the math section on the ACT/SAT for 1 hour and the reading and writing section for another hour can go a long way. In fact, I’ve found that keeping a flexible schedule is optimal since you might overestimate how much time you need to study for a subject so you can portion that extra time into another subject. Through taking a step back and creating a schedule, you’re ensuring that you don’t linger on one subject for too long.

    2. Choose an Appropriate Time to Study

    Everyone has different preferences on when they like to study. Some people prefer waking up early in the morning and studying. Others like studying in between classes. And most would say they like studying at night when they have finished all their extracurricular activities and other requirements for the day. It’s important to figure out when is your optimal time to study so you can plan classes, extracurricular activities, or other requriements around that time.

    3. Find the Right Study Environment

    Finding the right study spot is essential to studying. Everyone has their own preferences but generally, quiet is best for focus and productivity. However, I’ve found that too quiet is not good for me. I choose to stray away from the quiet section in my school’s library because I need a little life and noise to keep me energized, and I feel that it’s so cutthroat there that a small noise like tapping your pencil on your desk would result in death stares from across the room.

    I prefer to study in study rooms with a few friends because it allows the best of both worlds – peace and quiet while offering a little noise to keep the atmosphere animated. It’s important to find multiple spots to study because come crunch week, your favorite study spot might get taken. Unless you’re willing to wake up as early as when buildings open, you aren’t guaranteed any study spot.

    4. Take Breaks

    Taking breaks is important to studying. Your brain can only process so much before it starts to overfry. In our stress blog, we talk about how studying for long durations without breaks leads to ineffective studying. When planning your study sessions, you should account for breaks. Breaks can be as small as a 5 minute break to look at your phone or as large as an hour to go out to eat with friends. Breaks keep our brains from overheating and help optimize our studying time. However, you have to keep yourself accountable from taking too many breaks.

    5. Have a Study Partner

    Having a study partner is important because you’re able to bounce questions, ideas, and answers off of each other. It doesn’t matter if you’re more proficient in the material than your study partner because the best way to see if you know the material is to see if you can teach it to someone else. I’ve also found that having a study partner motivates you to study, even if your study partner is studying a different subject. Their presence and energy next to you inclines you to study and vice-versa. Not to mention, it’s easier and more enjoyable to coordinate breaks when you have company.

    6. Use Office Hours, TA Hours, and Any Other Available Resource

    Imagine this: it’s winter in Maine. You have a review session soon, but it’s currently snowing heavily, it’s a 10 minute walk, and the temperature is in the single digits Fahrenheit. Do you go to the review session?

    I’ll be the first to say that it would depend on my mood. I’ve skipped review sessions, TA hours, or other resources for something as small as a 10 minute walk, and many others have as well. But not going just leaves a resource on the table. Skipping the review session is like going to college with only one pair of clothes: you’re forcing yourself to wear that same pair everyday.

    I’ve done a single practice test as preparation for a test, and eventually, instead of fully learning the material, you’re going to remember the answers and the steps to the answers for that practice test. Using every available resource challenges you and results in the most effective studying.

    Next Steps

    There are many factors that result in effective studying so don’t be discouraged from unsatisfactory results. Take a step back and instead of diving right into studying, focus on how to optimize your study sessions. By doing this, I’m sure you’ll be able to achieve any goal you set for yourself!

    Having a hard time studying for the SAT/ACT? Use Prepmedians! We teach SAT/ACT test prep through sketch comedy and music so you’ll be fully engaged when preparing for the SAT/ACT. We also divide our lessons into 15-20 minute blocks so it’s easier to schedule prep time.