It is important to note that some strategies may be more applicable in some situations, even if they are not your preferred strategies.

For example, one of the study strategies that many students enjoy is creating and using flashcards. They really appreciate the versatility of flashcards and the value that they have for interactive study. However, when studying for an essay exam, flashcards may not be the most helpful strategy. For an essay exam, a strategy like teaching the material to someone else or journaling may be more practical because they allow you to dig deeper into the relationships and connections between the concepts of the material that you are studying and foster a deeper understanding of the material. This is very useful on an essay exam, because even if you didn’t know what specific topic your professor was going to ask about.

Flashcards can really shine when you have a multiple-choice or matching exam. Flashcards are an excellent tool for memorizing terms and definitions. However, that is not all that they are good for. If you know that there is a good likelihood that some of the material on your exam will be presented in matching form, you can use flashcards to help you there.

Acting a concept out is another strategy that can be helpful in some instances. This strategy can be especially helpful if you need to remember a sequence of events in a specific order. A very simple example of this is the phrase that many were taught in childhood “Stop, Drop, and Roll”. It is essential that this phrase be implemented in a specific order otherwise it will not perform its intended function.

The point of this module is not to say that every time you have an essay exam you need to use a journaling strategy, but rather to acknowledge that even though we may have specific areas of strength and preferences for certain abilities and strategies, often the task at hand may have more to do with determining what strategies you may need to implement. It is important to remember that the demands of every course are different and that therefore the strategies that you may need to implement may be different or may need to be adapted.