Study guide template

The study guide template provides a framework and suggested study techniques to prepare for school exams. You can collaborate on the guide with classmates or build it on your own and later invite your classmates  to quiz each other and make studying fun.

Study guide template benefits

• Organize study material into key topics to make them easy to understand
• Quickly review concepts and class material with a memory game
• Add notes and ideas, create connections, and summarize main points
• Record questions to ask during instructor office hours

How to use the study guide template

When you create a study guide from the template, you’ll work with several key sections. These sections are:

Step 1: Familiarize yourself with the study guide sections

Each study quadrant consists of four sections to organize your study material. Once you have placed your primary concept in the center of the quadrant, you can start filling in the four sections with supporting material. The quadrant sections are as follows:

1. ‍Notes and ideas: Add content that comes to mind while thinking about the central concept. Content may include images and diagrams, notes from class and key terms. You can use this section to remind yourself of key points you may want to cover in your test answers.‍
2. Connections: What are some things that remind you of the central concept? It could be anything — make it fun. A song, memory, or rhyming word will help you remember it. The connections section can cater to visual or auditory learners — whatever you prefer.‍
3. Quiz questions: Compile some example questions to quiz yourself and your classmates to test your knowledge.‍
4. Summary: Sometimes, it helps to sum it all up. Use this space to summarize the central concept while taking inspiration from your notes and ideas. If you can’t summarize the concept just yet, you might need to study the details more attentively.

Step 2: Add main concepts

Identify and add the main concepts discussed in your class into the blue rectangles in Section 1. Main concepts may include chapter titles, key terms, or course concepts to further elaborate on. If your teacher or professor provides a test outline, highlight those core concepts here.

Step 3: Combine supporting concepts

In Section 2, use sticky notes to add supporting concepts. Supporting concepts support the main ideas you identified in the first section with more detailed terms or information.

For example, if you’re taking a humanities class on ancient languages, some main concepts could be Greek verbs and adjectives, and supporting concepts would then be verb families or adjective order.

Step 4: Develop each quadrant

The study guide quadrants in Section 3 are the foundation of your study guide and help organize main concepts and supporting information. Here, you’ll drag one key concept from Section 1 into the middle of each quadrant on the canvas.

Use the quadrants for diving deeper into each concept by collecting notes and ideas, making connections, compiling quiz questions, and summarizing learnings. You can mark quadrants red, yellow, or green to show your confidence level with each concept.

Step 5: Test your knowledge

The game's feature is the perfect place to practice questions and prepare for your exam. Here you can add questions from previous quizzes or practice exams that could appear on your final exam.

Use the provided game examples with your classmates to make studying more engaging and fun. Having a classmate ask you questions will highlight which areas require more practice and attention.

Step 6: Compile questions

In this section, write any questions you want to ask your teacher or professor during office hours. If you’re using the template collaboratively with your classmates, they may be able to answer your questions. When searching for information, Sparknotes and CliffsNotes are useful resources for many subjects and placeholder information. But they may not answer your questions with information acceptable or accurate, according to your instructor.

Tips for creating your study guide

• Organize your notes: Organizing your notes can help you focus on the main concepts while studying for a test. Before creating your study guide, compile notes from lectures and tutorials by supporting concept or unit.
• Collect main concepts and ideas: Your teacher or professor may have provided a test outline of the core concepts covered on your test. Include only the notes that cover the main ideas on your test outline. Discarding unneeded information lets you focus on what matters most.
• Personalize your guide: Creating a study guide that caters to your specific learning style can be helpful while preparing for a test. In creating your study guide, you can use as much creative freedom as you'd like. If you’re a visual learner, this may involve adding pictures or diagrams to create connections between core concepts and ideas.
• Practice with classmates: Your classmates are excellent study tools. Sharing concepts and coming together to study and quiz each other — online or in-person — can help you to stay disciplined and organized. It’ll also highlight what you’re confident in and what you need to go over again.
• Don't be afraid to ask questions: Don't be afraid to ask questions if a concept seems unclear. Take note of each idea that requires more clarity and create a list. Bringing these questions to your teacher’s office hours ensures you don’t forget to find answers to your questions.