A 3.5 GPA in undergraduate school is the best starting place to get into dental school. If you managed a 3.5 in undergraduate, you’re no stranger to studying up for difficult tests.
Maybe you’re out of practice, or you got lucky in undergraduate and need some real help. Either way, in dental school, tests are hard.
You need some studying tips to keep that GPA up. Namely, you need refreshers on how to study for a test.
Want to learn how to study better so you can ace your next dental exam? Keep reading for the most productive test-taking tips!
Study At Night
For early birds, this study tip might be heresy, but it’s backed by science. Our brain strengthens connections while it’s sleeping. That means everything you read just before hitting the hay has a stronger likelihood of getting remembered in the morning.
This doesn’t mean you have to do all your studying at night, but it definitely speaks to the power of a late-night, last-minute cram session just before a big test!
Handwrite Your Notes
It’s hard to stick to an analogue, outdated practice like writing by hand when new technologies have invaded our everyday practices. Typing is so much faster, and cloud technology makes it easy to sync notes across all your devices.
Think twice before grabbing your laptop, though. Studies show that writing things out by hand actually increases your memory of what’s being written. Read: you’ll remember your class lectures better if you write them out instead of typing them.
If your professor speaks too fast to keep up by hand, that’s okay. Just make sure you take time to re-copy everything down by hand once when you get home! This is one of those study tips that takes extra time, but that you’ll be grateful for later!
Stay Calm
An estimated 3 million Canadians suffer from anxiety. If there’s one thing that’s for sure, it’s that you’re not alone in those pre-test sweaty worries.
On the bright side, there has never been more research on how to beat anxiety than there is today. Since so many Canadians need help dealing with anxiety, there’s tons of helpful information out there that you can use to stay calm. Even if you don’t have Generalized Anxiety Disorder, you can likely benefit from some of these resources.
One of the most powerful among them: meditation. Meditation has been proven to reduce anxiety symptoms in even those with Generalized Anxiety Disorder. It’s a powerful tool for grounding you in the present and reminding you that this test isn’t the end of the world.
Once you remember that, your nerves will chill out and help you do better on the test.
Put Those Studying Tips to Good Use!
Are you ready to start a new chapter in life? Want to start a career in a field with tons of opportunity? Ready to turn those studying tips into a degree?
Becoming a dental hygienist might be for you! Dental hygiene has a great job outlook, and the average median pay is about $70,637 per year! Learn more about our dental hygiene program today!