One of the common frustrations among students preparing for exams is the sheer volume of material they are expected to read. Over an academic semester, you may have accumulated lecture notes, slides, recommended texts, supplementary readings, and online class notes across eight or nine courses. Just thinking about it can cause the heart to race. And it does not help that, in many cases, exam questions can be lifted from any section of the material.
Students often say, “I don’t know where to start,” or “Everything looks important,” or “The notes are repetitive and confusing, and I’m not sure what applies to what.” These are valid concerns. But the good news is that there is a way to study strategically without reading every line like a storybook.
Reading for exams requires a different method from reading for leisure or deep research. The goal is to understand, organize, and recall information effectively. Here is how to approach it.
1. Begin With the Structure, Not the Details
Before you start reading, get an overview of each course. Look at:
• The table of contents or lesson outline
• The topics taught each week
• The headings and subheadings in your notes
This gives you a sense of the structure of the course. Once you have that structure in mind, the content becomes easier to manage because your mind now has compartments to store information. Think of it as building shelves before placing books on them.
2. Identify the Core Content
Most exam-heavy courses revolve around a few repeatable information patterns:
• Definitions
• Features or characteristics
• Functions or roles
• Advantages and disadvantages
• Theories and scholars
• Processes or steps
Not every sentence in your notes matters. Your task is to locate and master these pillars. They form the backbone of most exam questions. If the lecturer emphasizes certain lists multiple times, highlights something verbally in class, or writes it out clearly on a slide, that is a sign of importance.
3. Use the Question-Prediction Method
Lecturers do not randomly create exam questions. They draw questions from concepts that are central to the course. As you study, ask yourself, “If I were the lecturer, what would I set as an exam question here?”
Turn headings into likely questions. For example:
• Definition of communication
• Features of persuasive writing
• Advantages of employee training
• Differences between qualitative and quantitative methods
Writing exam-style questions while studying improves recall and prepares you mentally for the exam format.
4. Don’t Study Everything. Study the Key Examples.
Some textbooks and handouts contain lengthy explanations with numerous illustrations. These illustrations are helpful for understanding, but they are not always what is examined. What you need to capture is:
• The main idea the example illustrates
• The summary of the argument
• The keywords used
If you understand the concept, you can reproduce or adapt examples in your own words during exams.
5. Use a Simplification Technique
When notes feel confusing or repetitive, simplify them. Reduce complex material to small, clear bullet points.
For instance, instead of trying to memorize this paragraph:
‘Communication is a process that involves the transmission of messages from a sender to a receiver through a chosen medium, with the intention of achieving shared understanding.’
Condense it like this:
• Communication = sending message + receiving + medium+ shared understanding.
The brain remembers it if it is clear, not long.
6. Create a One-Page Summary Sheet per Topic
After reading a topic, summarize it on one sheet. This sheet should include:
• Definition
• Key features
• Core points
• One example if needed
By the time exams are close, you will revise your summary sheets, not the full notes. This prevents panic and overload.
7. Study the Same Course in Layers, Not in One Sitting
Do not attempt to “finish” a course in one reading.
Use this three-layer reading strategy:
1. Skim layer: get an overview
2. Deep layer: understand the key points
3. Recall layer: quiz yourself and summarize
Spacing your study improves memory and reduces stress.
8. Group Similar Courses Together
If you have multiple courses with definitions, theories, and features, do not study them back-to-back. That leads to mental saturation and confusion.
Do the following instead:
• Pair a theory-heavy course with a calculation-based or discussion-based one
• Alternate between heavy and light subjects
This keeps your brain fresh.
9. Use Past Questions and Extract Patterns
Past questions are not always repeated word-for-word. But themes repeat:
• Key topics
• Frequently tested lists
• Areas lecturers emphasize in class
Studying past questions reveals what the lecturer considers important.
10. Manage Authorial Confusion by Trusting Course Objectives
Sometimes, handouts and texts overlap or contradict each other. In such cases:
• Prioritize the lecturer’s explanations.
• Follow the course objectives from the course outline.
• Treat textbooks as supportive, not authoritative.
Remember: you are writing the lecturer’s exam. So, use the lecturer’s direction as your guiding compass.
Exam preparation does not require reading every word. It requires knowing what to read, how to organize it, and how to recall it. When you understand what examiners look for, studying becomes more focused and manageable.
And always recall that it is not the amount of reading you do that determines success. It is the clarity and retention of what you understand.
Speak well. Write well. Read smart. Achieve your communication goals.
•Ruth Karachi Benson Oji is an Associate Professor of Pragmatics and (Digital Media) Discourse Analysis at Pan-Atlantic University and Lead Consultant at Karuch Consulting Limited.
The post How to read smartly for exams when the material feels overwhelming, by Ruth Oji appeared first on Vanguard News.
