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Need help with your next exam? Get pro-active and prepare for success ahead of time with these 10 study tips.

1. You need a dedicated study area. That means you need to find a good place to study that's quiet, has plenty of room to spread out books and papers, and offers plenty of good lighting.

2. You should have your study tools handy ' you need writing paper, note cards (like index cards), pens, markers / highlighters, colored pencils, yellow sticky notes, a small dictionary, calculator, and a folder to keep your papers organized.

3. Get a tutor or study buddy when possible, and be one yourself (you can often learn by teaching!)

4. Review your notes from class/books and rewrite them, clearing up any points necessary and reinforcing them.

5. Compare study notes and class notes with those of others. Fill in what they have that you don't. Get help understanding what you may have missed. Highlight or underline important points.

6. Read all of your assignments, required book chapters, lessons, etc. Take notes, then go back and re-read again. Jot down questions about anything you do not understand and follow up as best you can.

7. Use practice exams or old tests when studying.

8. Learn to make outlines and outline important information from each lesson, each chapter.

9. Use note cards to make your own flashcards. Then don't just memorize, but really try to learn the information.

10. Try to put information to music, rhyming or other word patterns; for example, remember Roy G. Biv: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet = colors of the rainbow. And how about: 'My very educated mother just served us nine pancakes (or just 'nuts' now) for remembering: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto (?).

So grab your study tips and go! Get pro-active about passing your next exam and invite success to come your way.