Each exam period, the same scenario emerges in hostels and at home in Nigeria: the student bent over their book from 8 pm to midnight, the WAEC syllabus laid out in front of them, biro in hand, eyes strained and walking into the examination hall with no idea of half the things that they "read." At Edutora, we come across this situation repeatedly, but it is not because of lack of effort. It is a result of studying through means that appear productive but do not create any memory. The process of reading and rereading your notes makes you believe you know them all; when presented with the same information without anything to look at, you realize you have fooled yourself. This manual replaces guesswork with science-based tips and tricks.
Why Studying for Hours Doesn't Always Mean Remembering More
The brain does not store data just because you have glanced over it. Passive reading leads to recognition, but not recall and exams are testing recall. One of the key reviews on learning techniques, done by Psychological Science in the Public Interest (Dunlosky et al., 2013), gave low utility marks to such approaches as highlighting and rereading of the text, while strategies involving retrieval of data such as self-testing were deemed the best ones available.
The good news is: successful studying does not require more time. All it needs is using the time already spent on studying differently..
8 Practical Ways to Study More Effectively
1. Test Yourself Instead of Re-Reading
Put the book away and attempt to write down or recall all that you know on a subject without referring to your notes until after. Active recall is one of the best researched methods of studying; it reliably surpasses passive rereading.
Example: If the WAEC Government subject was on the causes of the Nigerian Civil War, put away the textbook and attempt to write down the causes. Compare that list with your notes, and use the difference to know where you have to focus your studies – rather than rereading the page for a fifth time.
2. Space Out Your Studying Instead of Cramming
Information transfer occurs into long-term memory when one learns about something and revises it a number of days later compared to learning something five times at one time. There are many research studies that have been carried out on "spacing effect" and its superiority to massed learning in educational psychology texts, irrespective of age and type of study materials.
For example: Instead of learning chemistry one day before the practice test, learn it for a little while on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
3. Teach the Topic to Someone Else
When one can describe a particular theory in simple terms, using their own language, to a friend, sibling, or classmate, that means one understands the theory. However, if one struggles, then that's an indication that one was just acknowledging the theory without necessarily understanding it.
Example: When one learns photosynthesis in WASSCE Biology and describes the process to a JSS sibling who knows nothing about photosynthesis, then that's where one needs to go back and learn from.
4. Break Study Sessions Into Focused Blocks
Extended study periods result in tiredness and loss of concentration, without your knowledge. Studying in blocks of about 40 to 50 minutes followed by 10-minute rests ensures that concentration is maintained for a longer period.
For instance, rather than studying Further Mathematics for three continuous hours, it would be better to do three blocks of 50 minutes each.
5. Mix Subjects Instead of Studying One for Too Long
While studying for long hours in one subject appears exhaustive, changing from one topic to another (interleaving) develops your ability to discriminate between concepts and use the correct approach in solving questions – a concept that is heavily tested by the JAMB's question format.
For instance, instead of three hours of calculations in Physics alone, do 40 minutes of Physics followed by 40 minutes of Chemistry and go back to Physics.
6. Write Summaries in Your Own Words
When you just copy notes down word-for-word, there is little thinking going on in your mind. When you have to rewrite what you've learned into simpler words, you are using your brain to really learn the idea.
For example, after your Biology lesson on the human digestive system, put away your notes and try to explain it using your own words. Imagine that you're telling someone in your WhatsApp voice message about what you learned today.
7. Study in a Consistent, Distraction-Free Spot
Your brain is used to certain surroundings doing certain things. Your brain becomes conditioned to enter focus mode when you are at a quiet place, far from your phone and any other noise.
For example, if you study on your bed with your phone at your side, change that one day and study on a desk with your phone in another room. See how much you get done in the same amount of time.
8. Sleep Before the Exam, Not Just the Night Before
Several studies have been done that prove that proper sleep plays a very vital role in the consolidation of memories; therefore, staying up all night to have more hours is self-defeating because the memorized facts do not get adequately consolidated.
For instance, a person who spends his study time until 10 pm but sleeps soundly tends to do better in morning exams like the WAEC exam than the person who studies all night.
A Simple Weekly Study Timetable
You don't need a complicated schedule, you need one you'll actually follow. Here's a simple example built around focused blocks and spaced repetition:
| Day | Morning (1 hour) | Evening (1.5 hours) |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Mathematics (new topic) | English + past questions review |
| Tuesday | Chemistry (new topic) | Mathematics (review Monday's topic) |
| Wednesday | Biology (new topic) | Chemistry (review Tuesday's topic) |
| Thursday | Physics (new topic) | Biology (review Wednesday's topic) |
| Friday | Past questions (mixed subjects) | Physics (review Thursday's topic) |
| Saturday | Weak topics from the week | Timed past-question practice |
| Sunday | Light review only | Rest |
Adjust the subjects to match your own WAEC, NECO, or JAMB combination. The structure matters more than the exact subjects: new material in the morning, review of recent material in the evening, and dedicated time for past questions and weak spots later in the week.
How to Use Past Questions Properly
One of the least used study resources that Nigerian students have access to is past questions from previous WAEC, NECO, and JAMB examinations; but this problem is usually because of poor use of these questions. Reading past questions and their answers is a very passive method of revision. For one to get maximum benefit out of past questions and answers, he/she must:
- Attempt the past questions in test mode, which means without notes, book or any other reference, as well as within the stipulated time (CBT for JAMB); this will make one see what can be done in test mode and not the things seen in the question.
- Grade his/her answers honestly before looking at the answers to understand whether his/her answers were right.
- Recognize patterns in past questions, which is something that WAEC and JAMB are prone to repeating year after year, and this will give one idea of what topics to cover.
- Learn from his/her mistakes by knowing exactly where he/she went wrong in his/her reasoning.
Common Study Mistakes to Avoid
- Overhighlighting everything. When everything is highlighted, then everything isn't highlighted.
- Studying topics one feels comfortable with. It is common to spend more time on those topics that one likes. The topics one avoids are where he or she will lose JAMB points.
- Studying while multitasking. It is well known that studying while having your phone beside you, even if the phone is on silent mode, is less efficient than studying without it.
- Preparing for exams at the last minute. Even if the total hours of study are equal, spacing out study times has more positive impact on retention than last-minute cramming.
- Skipping sleep and breaks. Skipping rests normally has more negative impact on performance than any gains from the additional hours of studying.
The 7-Day Study Challenge
If you want to put this into practice immediately, try this for the next seven days:
- Day 1–2: Pick one subject. After each session, close your notes and write down everything you remember before checking.
- Day 3: Revisit Day 1's topic using active recall again, before moving to new material.
- Day 4: Explain one topic out loud to someone else, or to yourself, without notes.
- Day 5: Attempt a set of WAEC or JAMB past questions under timed conditions, no notes allowed.
- Day 6: Review your past-question mistakes properly, and revisit any shaky topic.
- Day 7: Light review only, and get a full night's sleep.
By the end of the week, you'll likely notice you remember more, with less re-reading, than in a normal week of studying. That difference is the whole point, better methods, not just more hours.
Once these habits are in place, the next step is building a study timetable that actually survives contact with real life, school hours, lesson runs, and everything else competing for your time. That's exactly what we'll cover next.
About the Author
This guide was prepared by the Edutora editorial team, drawing on peer-reviewed cognitive science research (including Dunlosky et al., 2013, Psychological Science in the Public Interest) and study patterns specific to WAEC, NECO, and JAMB preparation in Nigeria. Edutora is committed to giving Nigerian students exam guidance that's grounded in evidence, not recycled tips.
0 Comments