One of the easiest ways to review material for an exam is to organize a study group. While this may seem difficult to do since the sole reason most enroll in an online class is because they need flexible schedules and can not meet at a physical building, study groups can still be created via the web. In order to do this, it’s best that you start getting to know your classmates via email and through the discussion boards and forums. Try to see if anyone would be interested in joining a study group. From there, your group can continue to chat via the discussion boards, forums, and email or you can step it up a notch and video chat with each other or exchange phone numbers. No matter your form of communication, utilize your time to quizz each other on the lessons and chapters in the book.

This next tip may not be necessarily eco-friendly but it does release some strain on your eyes. Starring at the computer screen for hours on end studying for an exam can sometimes make you tired—which can ultimately affect the amount of information that you actually absorb. So instead, give your eyes a break and print out hard copies of some of the important studying materials that can only be located online. Printing out a hardcopy of your study materials will also allow you to highlight important information and attach sticky notes where appropriate.

Lastly, it’s important that while you’re listening and viewing lectures online, that you treat it as if you were sitting in a traditional classroom setting. Meaning, write notes and jot down questions while you are listening to the lectures. These notes will help you when exam time comes and going back to find answers to your questions will also help you study. Since lectures are comprised into digital files, another good idea would be to download them on your iPod so that you can re-hear them on your drive to work in the car or while at the gym.

While many students enroll in an online degree program in order to better their earning potential in their current career path, another group of students use online degree programs to help them gain new and different knowledge that could help them change their career. If you’re considering joining this second group, here are a few things to consider as to how online degree programs can really help you do this efficiently and with the least amount of stress.

The great thing about enrolling in an online degree program to help you change careers is that the flexibility of the program and the nature of the online courses allow you to keep your current job so that you have a steady income. You can work your courses and education around your current job, and then, once you have complete the degree, you can begin the transition into a new career. Other schools, such as traditional graduate programs, often require their students to study full-time, which would make it hard to earn an income as you prepare to change careers.

As part of this flexibility, you also gain the benefit of keeping quiet about your inevitable job change. This is important if you feel the need to protect your current job security while actively seeking a way to find a new career. The flexibility of online degree programs allows you to schedule your online classes at night, or to take them only when you are at home. You don’t need to let the online degree program into your place of work. If you were taking courses at a traditional school, you might have trouble keeping that separate, as you would probably have to devote more time to driving back and forth to class during the day. Even if you took night classes, you would still have to leave early to get to campus on time. The flexibility of online degree programs simplifies that anxiety of having your boss find out that you’re planning to leave.

And lastly, on online degree program can help you change careers by providing you with the knowledge needed to understand the nature of the new career and properly navigate its pathways. This is especially useful if you are completely new to the field. Yes, of course, other traditional programs give this to you, but online programs allow you to process the new knowledge at your own pace without having to worry about your income, expenses, and current job security. Online degree programs are definitely worth your time if you are interested in getting an education to change your career.

The so-called studious musical genre is no other than classical music. This might seem like a bore to those who don’t favor this particular type of music, but studies suggest that hearing some of the best classical artists like Mozart, Beethoven and Chopin can substantially increase the amount of information you absorb. That’s not to say that you should blast the music at maximum volume—this will undoubtedly distract you from the task at hand. But having it softly play in the background while you read, write or review old material can help you in a numerous of different ways. According to researchers not only can it help you improve memorization, but it can also relax you and inspire.

The reasons why researches suggest that classical music in particular helps with retention is because of the specific beats per minute and the fact that no lyrics are attached. With that said, other genres that can most likely have the same affect if you are not a fan of classical music is smooth jazz and trance. While most are familiar with artists such as Kenny G and the smooth jazz musical genre, many are unfamiliar with trance. Trance music is sub-category of electronica dance, but it has more of a soothing affect. Key terms to watch out for in song titles are Adigo, progressive and ambient.

No matter what genre of music you choose to listen to (if any) make sure that it is something that is not too overwhelming and something that you won’t suddenly get the urge to dance to and distract you from your studies. Meaning, don’t select a song that is so catchy you’ll find yourself singing along— thus lyric-less songs are best.

Day-to-Day Utilities

Your classroom experience can be supplemented with a variety of useful apps.

1. CoursePro: For just $2.99, you can keep track of your courses, assignments and grades. With this app, you’ll never be out of the loop.
2. myDAY: A journal and note application that allows you to keep a chronological record of your daily activities.
3. Thinking Space: The official Mind Mapping app allows you to organize and plan ideas and activities.
4. Quick Calendar: View upcoming appointments and other events in your phone’s status bar.
5. GPA Calculator: With this tool, you can "calculate, monitor and manage your GPA."
6. Evernote: Snapshots taken of text become searchable once scanned by Evernote’s servers, making it easy to search and retrieve them later on your PC.
7. Catch Notes: Another note taking app to consider. This one has garnered rave reviews because of its many capabilities, including the ability to Geotag your locations.
8. ShareYourBoard: Capture, process and share whiteboard material in class when you don’t have the time or will to write it down.
9. StudyDroid Flashcards 2.0 Free: Save a few trees by creating flash cards on your phone. Text size and color are adjustable, of course.
10. Voice Recorder: Perfect for capturing audio notes, personal notes, and if you’re a journalism student, recording interviews.
11. GDocs for Android: A tool that enables you to "create, edit, view, import, export and send documents as well as sync documents with your Google Docs account."
12. Dropbox: Access files from your PC on the go by syncing them with your phone. Supports Word, PFD, video and audio files.
13. WordPlayer: Choose from thousands of books to download within seconds. Customizable and easy to read.
14. Cheap Textbooks: The best way to find affordable textbooks locally and online. Find quick results by using your phone’s barcode scanner.

Research and Studying

Reference information or study at the spur of the moment. This is why it’s called a smartphone.

15. Dictionary.com: Search up to 325,000 words and definitions, and 300,000 synonyms and antonyms.
16. Grammar Guide: A reference guide that offers "a glossary of terms, punctuation, capitalization, misused words, misspelled words, when to use numbers and tips for proofreading."
17. Wapedia: Quickly search Wikipedia, even on slower networks. Also great for additional content such as news, Wikiquotes and Wikitravel information.
18. Google Translate: Translates up to 50 languages and features dictionary results, text-to-text speech and voice input.
19. handyCalc Calculator: A powerful calculator with advanced features that’ll help you ace your most difficult math classes.
20. StatDist: An advanced app that "calculates densities, probabilities, and quantiles of common useful continuous and discrete distributions." For the aspiring statistician.
21. Formulas Lite: Find important math, physics and chemistry formulas when you need them the most. Also includes a scientific calculator, translator and interesting facts.
22. Periodic Table: In addition to viewing the periodic table, access more than 30 facts about each element.
23. SciencePal: Reference information about the periodic table, constants, polyatomic ions, nuclides Z=0-70 and the solar system.
24. USA Graduate School: Education: Research prospective grad schools by reading overviews and finding admissions requirements, costs, rankings and more.
25. PowerVocab Ultra Edition: Designed for tests such as the GRE and GMAT, this app has your vocab study needs covered.
26. GRE Math: More than 1,000 questions and six mock quizzes make this your go-to app for GRE math prep — $4.99 well spent.
27. GMAT Math: Just like GRE Math but made for the GMAT, containing just as many questions and quizzes. Also $4.99.
28. LSAT Assassin — LR Deluxe: Prep by answering up to 250 real LSAT questions. $14.99 due to licensing fees.

Off Campus

Even the most serious students have lives off campus. Enhance yours with a few more good apps.

29. Mint.com Personal Finance: Manage your money and track your spending habits. Perfect for any penny-pinching college student.
30. Electricity Calculator: Calculate your electricity usage and costs way before the bill arrives.
31. Layar: Search for the most popular hotspots in your area and dig deeper by exploring Layar’s Augmented Reality view.
32. Trip Journal: The No. 1 Google Awarded Travel App enables you to document and share details of those patented college road trips.
33. Pandora Radio: Get a more personalized radio listening experience by simply entering the name of your favorite artist.
34. fring: Video chat with your friends and family around the country.

Other Essential Apps

Your thirst for knowledge doesn’t stop when class ends. Follow the latest news and keep your mind active by using your phone.

35. NPR: Scan the latest news, absorb an hourly five-minute newscast, or simply listen to a local NPR station.
36. New York Times: The "award-winning journalism of The New York Times" right on your Android phone.
37. Wattpad: "The world’s most popular ebook community" provides access to more than 100,000 books and poems written by people like you. You can share your work too!
38. Pocket Knowledge: Ask a question — any question — related to anything from culture to physics, and receive an answer.
39. Dean’s List Trivia: For $3.99, undertake the challenge of answering up to 1,000 questions from various categories. Earn your spot on the Dean’s List or even better accolades by showcasing your expertise in a subject.
40. Memory Master: Exercise your mind and improve your memory by completing all 11 levels of this entertaining game.

Tools like Babel Fish, WordReference, and even the iPhone app Word Lens are all incredibly useful for foreign language students. Yet, students should not rely solely on these devices to translate their Spanish textbooks or to translate an English sentence into a French one because these tools cannot do those tasks – or not accurately, at least. In fact, most language teachers and native speakers will be able to tell if you used a translation tool to work out a phrase or sentence and penalize you for cheating.

The fact is, languages are very complex, and most programs and translation tools do not have the logistics to account for every grammatical rule in languages. For example, just think about all of the rules in the English language that change according to the words being used and the thoughts being expressed. Such a fluid rule can be seen in how "a" precedes most words starting with a consonant, but "an" is used to precede words like "hour" despite that fact that "hour" begins with a consonant. In addition, some English words are spelled the same way but mean entirely different things, like how "minute" can mean both a measurement of time and a measurement of size. Imagine how many potential errors a translation tool can make in English alone, let alone in different languages.

These tools are useful if you are trying to gain a general understanding of a piece of text or trying to translate a single word because you can typically use the translation as context clues to piece together the true meaning. If you are struggling with a large piece of text, using these tools can help you to recognize language patterns so that you can memorize them without the aid of a translation tool in the future. Just don’t put all of your assignments into Babel Fish and expect to receive a satisfactory grade for your efforts. Instead, use them for what they are: tools, not a replacement for your own thinking.

Do use Wikipedia as a starting point. It’s well-organized, allowing you to quickly get an overview of the main idea behind a historical event, public figure, or company profile. Browse the categories that Wikipedia editors have chosen to break down the subject, cluing you into some niche topics that you may want to narrow in on during your research, or just as a guide for your own research. When you’re finished reading over your topic, scroll to the bottom of the page and check out the references and sources that the editors used themselves. That bibliography should direct you to quality sources that you can actually use, and that your professor will approve of. Pull from those resources your quotes and bulk up your bibliography if you’re tempted to cite Wikipedia.

Don’t blindly accept everything that’s published on Wikipedia as truth, even if the entry hasn’t been flagged. Check the sources at the bottom of the page, and perform your own background check to validate or invalidate them. Don’t use direct quotes from a Wikipedia page in your essay or paper, either: it makes you look lazy and unprofessional. Wiki- research should be casually informative, not your principal resource, so consider the site a guide that inspires you to ask more questions and do independent, original research. And double check with your professor what his or her rules are regarding Wikpedia: they might be more lax than you think, or may prohibit using it altogether.

Elementary

Younger students can have fun with these Google Earth lessons and ideas.

1. Meteors. Have students locate the places around the world where meteors have hit, then use that data to create charts or graphs.
2. My Summer Vacation. Elementary students can explore geography while sharing something about themselves in this lesson.
3. The American Revolution. This activity is appropriate for elementary aged students and traces the paths of America’s founding fathers.
4. Using the Ruler Tool to Measure in Google Earth. This lesson walks teachers through using the ruler tool in Google Earth as a learning resource.
5. Flat Stanley. Scroll down to the May 4th entry here to learn how you can use a Flat Stanley icon to use in Google Earth.

Middle School

These lessons cover a wide range of subjects and are just right for middle school students.

6. San Francisco: visualizing a safer city. Middle school students can do this group project that involves planning to make San Francisco safer during a major earthquake.
7. His Dark Materials: Northern Lights in Google Earth. Read Philip Pullman’s Northern Lights and complete this lesson that uses Google Earth to bring the Norwegian island of Svalbard to life.
8. The Red Badge of Courage. After reading this book, lead students through this lesson plan on the American Civil War.
9. Great Explorers. Study Lewis and Clark in this geography lesson using Google Earth.
10. The World in My Back Yard. This lesson focuses on cultural awareness for 6-8th grade students.
11. God Grew Tired of Us: Migration and Cultural Interaction. Students will watch a documentary film, then study migration and Africa with this lesson. Just substitute Google Earth in place of the 2D maps suggested here.
12. Travels of Odysseus in Google Earth. Map out Odysseus’ travels with this fun lesson.

High School and Beyond

These lessons are great for high school and college students and include literature, geography, history, and more.

13. Around the World in 80 Days. After reading Around the World in 80 Days, have students locate 19 placemarks mentioned in the book. Have them select 19 places they would stop and explain why.
14. Energy Consumption Rates across the USA and the World. Use this lesson plan to have students examine and compare energy consumption rates using Google Earth and several other resources.
15. Environmental Reconnaissance of a Salt Marsh. Students will use Google Earth, field work, photography, and other resources to learn about salt marshes in this lesson.
16. The Boxing Day Tsunami. Explore the causes and effects of the tsunami that occurred on December 26, 2004.
17. A new management plan for Stonehenge. Have students create a management plan to improve the visitor facilities at Stonehenge.
18. Modelling sea level change on the Gold Coast. Take a look at surfing and shrinking coastlines along the Gold Coast in this lesson.
19. The Diamond Trade. Explore the social and ecological impact of the diamond trade using this powerful lesson.
20. All Quiet on the Western Front. Read this book, then study Europe and WWI battlefields.
21. Great Monuments of the World. Teach students about monuments around the world as well as the significance of them.
22. Places Quoted in Shakespeare in Google Earth. Visit 85 places mentioned in Shakespeare’s works.

All Ages

From literature trips to volcano exploration, these ideas are great for any age student.

23. Google Lit Trips. This site provides lesson plans coupling books with Google "trips" students can take. Lessons range from Kindergarten to college.
24. Asia: Continent of Contrasts. Take a seven-day tour across the Asian continent with this lesson.
25. Explore the Arctic with Google Earth. Have students explore the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge with this resource from the Sierra Club.
26. Google Earth Outreach Showcase. See how non-profit organizations are making a difference in areas experiencing disaster and war.
27. Monster Milktruck!. Drive a milk truck around Google Earth here.
28. Spring Sojourn. Teach civil rights history and geography with this lesson created by a real journey taken by a group of high school students and staff.
29. Global Vulcanism Program. Study volcanoes around the world with this site and Google Earth.
30. Real World Math. This site is full of lesson ideas for teaching math with Google Earth.
31. Weather and Storm Tracking Tools in Google Earth. Use these tools to study weather and even track storms.

Virtual Tours

Take these awesome and awe-inspiring virtual tours with your classroom and Google Earth.

32. Art Museums 3D Tour. Students can visit famous art museums around the world with this tour. Couple this tour with inside exploration when you visit the museums’ websites.
33. Google Earth Ocean. Ocean allows students to explore the oceans and all that is within and around them.
34. United States Capitol Buildings. Move your state capital lesson beyond boring memorization with this tour.
35. Cathedrals 3D Tour. Take students on a tour of famous cathedrals across the world with this tour.
36. Geosights of Utah. The geological formations in Utah are like nothing else, so be sure to include this tour in your lesson plan.
37. Castles and Palaces 3D Tour. Students can see castles and palaces in 3D when you take this tour.
38. Libraries. Visit historic libraries with this tour, then visit their websites for even more learning possibilities.
39. Major League Baseball Stadiums. If you are looking for a way to capture the attention of the sports fans in your class, take them on a tour of these baseball stadiums.
40. Google Earth Sky. Take students on a field trip that’s out of this world with this tour that explores space.
41. Great Green Buildings. The buildings in this tour have received the highest level of certification from the Energy Department and offer a good tool for studying environmentalism.
42. Rome Colosseum. Take students on a trip to the Colosseum with Google Earth.
43. Beijing Tour. If your class is studying China, why not include a tour of Beijing?
44. Universities. College-bound high school students will especially enjoy exploring the campuses of some of the most popular universities in the US.
45. National Registry. The American Institute of Architects celebrated their 150th anniversary with this tour of their 150 favorite structures in America.
46. Arc de Triomphe. When studying France, be sure to include this tour of the famous Arc de Triomphe.
47. Skyscrapers Tour. Visit the tallest buildings around when you take this Google Earth tour.
48. Rail Stations Tour. Take a look at the past and present with this tour of rail stations.
49. Sydney Opera House. Students can explore the Sydney Opera House from several angles.
50. Bridge 3D Tour. Students can explore some of the most amazing bridges with this tour.

In order to make the best of your notes, you should develop some strategies to take good notes. Good note-taking strategies will allow you to take notes while intellectually engaging with the class, and good note-taking strategies will help you develop a document that is actually useful later on when you review.

The first and most important key to taking good notes is to keep them organized. Each day in class, date your notepad. Keep all of your notes in one place. Don’t let them get mixed up with other classes and don’t let them get out of order. When you’re trying to study for an exam, you don’t want to have to waste time searching for your notes and trying to put them in order.

Many educational sites will advise you to create a shorthand system. In other words, they’ll suggest that you write ‘w/r/t’ for ‘with regard to’ and ‘b/c’ for ‘because.’ Of course, this is just one example of many ways you can create your own shorthand. Be wary, however, of using a shorthand system that is far too complicated. You want to find a way of shortening your note-taking process that is perfect for you.

Another thing to watch out for is taking notes with sloppy handwriting. Sloppy handwriting, which often occurs when you’re writing fast, can really hurt your ability to read your notes later. It’s more important to be slow and careful in your note-taking. That way you can write down the complicated concepts in a way that you can understand later. I’ve also seen other students set up their notes in the form of a transcript. This can be useful if there is a class discussion that is particularly interesting. By having notes attributed to different speakers in the class, you can see how an argument or discussion develops. Writing it down will let you see how the group worked through an issue, which you can then use to model your own critical thinking about an issue when you study for an exam. No matter what you do for you note-taking, be confident that it will help you learn. The act of taking notes helps the concepts you’re studying to be further engrained in your mind. Some of the best note-takers don’t need to review their notes later because they’ve learned the concept so well by simply taking notes. 

But that doesn’t mean it is unreadable; it simply means that a college student who must read an excerpt from that text or some other difficult text must make use of some strategies to help him or her wade through the material.

The first, and perhaps most important strategy, is to read with a pen or pencil in your hand. This will allow you to mark up the text and to write down ideas and questions as they come to you. A pen in your hand will encourage you to read actively, which will force you to think about the text instead of simply letting the difficult language wash over and out of your brain. The notes you take may not be useful later, but they will prompt you to seek out help or to ask questions in class about the text.

You should also read difficult texts with a dictionary nearby or open in your browser. When you encounter a word you don’t know, do not pass over it. Look it up. You’d be surprised at how many students don’t bother to look up words they don’t know. It would be one thing if they figured the words out by context clues, but in difficult texts, even the context clues and other words might need to be looked up.

Finally, read difficult texts with the help of internet resources, like Wikipedia and other basic sources of information. These sources won’t be perfect, but they are enough to give you a basic understanding of what the text is saying and how it fits into the overall discipline or subject field that you’re studying. While these other sources shouldn’t replace the original text you’re reading, they can be useful. Ask your professor for advice on where to find basic information that could help you follow along. Your professor will be your best source of information. If all else fails, don’t hesitate to ask him or her to help you read a paragraph or two. Hopefully your professor can model good critical reading skills that you can use on your own later on.

However, there are a few ways to make the experience less painful, if not entirely pain-free. For starters: prioritize. Your exam schedule isn’t up to you, but you do have the power to decide what to study and when. No matter when it’s scheduled, the test for your hardest course will likely require the greatest amount of study and preparation. As a result, waiting until the night or day before the test to study is a huge mistake, regardless of whether you had other tests to take first. Make your toughest test your top priority and spend a little time studying for it each day until the test day arrives. You maximize your time that way.

It’s also a good idea to break up your studying by making regular changes in topic and location. Going for marathon stretches on a single topic is never a good idea unless you want to work yourself into a stupor. The goal is retention, not torture, and that means studying smart as well as hard. Plan a night of studying that rotates topics in large time-chunks and then revisits them for brief refreshers at the end. You should also plan on altering your location a few times, especially if you change topics regularly. This helps the information as it gets organized in your brain. Believe it or not, you’ll start to associate different study areas with different topics, which is much more helpful for retention than staring at the same study room wall for 12 hours as you cram for seven classes. New spaces and angles keep your senses fresh and your brain agile. Weird but true.

The biggest thing to remember is that it’s never too early to prepare for a final exam. If your school offers a dead week, or even a dead day, then by all means use it to your advantage. But there’s no rule against starting earlier, especially if you’re dealing a particularly hairy course that promises to offer up a grueling test. The sooner you get it over with, the better your results will be.