Hi! I am Zita and I finished my bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies last year. When looking back on my bachelor, I remember interesting courses and having fun, but of course also stressful times filled with deadlines and exams. During my studies, I experimented quite a lot with learning methods to see which ones worked best for me. I watched a lot of YouTube videos on effective studying and planning, and tried to apply these methods to my own studies. This led to a few failed exams (unfortunately), but luckily over time also a lot of exams and deadlines passed with good grades.Therefore, I would like to share the main outcomes of my learning-method-journey! I am not an expert in studying or planning, but I did learn a few tips and tricks along the way that could also come in handy for others. 

First of all, I learned that planning the block starts before your courses have even started. It seems a bit obvious, but reading the course manuals before the first lecture helped me a lot, because it showed me what was expected and what the ultimate goal of the course was. When you know whether you have to study for an exam or write a paper, you approach the course in a different way. Writing all the deadlines in my agenda also saved me a lot of stress, because I would not have to worry about unexpected assignments and pull all-nighters. During the courses I tried to keep up with readings, because it helped me to understand lectures better. When reading, it sometimes helps to write along a bit; make small notes about the main message of the text. These notes do not have to be longer than half the page of your writing pad, but it could come in handy later, because you have an overview on the content of the texts; when writing your final paper or studying for your exam, it helps if you don’t have to think about what the texts were about. I would not stress too much about keeping up with reading; if you miss some texts, it will be okay! Furthermore, some people swear by writing along during classes, because it would help you remember the content better. This could help for some, but I sometimes like typing along better in courses with a lot of information, because it helps me keep structure in my notes a bit more. This is a bit dependent on personal preference. 

Then comes the moment supreme: the exam period. In the exam periods, it always helps me to meet up with friends to study: it keeps me motivated to show up and study and it makes a day of studying a lot better if you can have nice breaks with people. When writing a paper, I always try to give myself a deadline a bit before the official deadline of the paper, because I think it really helps to leave your written paper ‘lay down’ for a day, so you can see mistakes a bit clearer when reading it again before submitting. It also helps a lot to let someone proofread your paper, because others always detect mistakes and errors better than you do, especially if you have been working on the paper for a while. When studying for an exam, I always use flashcards as a way to ‘test’ myself and study the material. I think about what questions could be asked from the material and try to study towards that. Furthermore, the mock-exam is always really helpful, because it shows you a bit of what you can expect. When it comes to exams, I learn the most by discussing the material with someone who is also preparing for the exam. Help each other by quizzing each other or making the mock-exam together. 

Last but not least: studying can be really stressful, so be nice for yourself! Treat yourself with some coffee (from a place other than the UB coffee-machine) during a study break and try to plan some fun things in your exam periods. It is all in making it as ‘fun’ as possible for yourself!