Spencer Institute Coaching Course Exam Preparation
Something we often get asked is whether we have any special tips or techniques to help our students learn and study their material so that they are best equipped to take their certification test. You can speed up your learning with these studying tips and learning hacks to help you quickly learn new skills and concepts and ace your next Spencer Institute course exam.
Make Sure You Have Access To Your Courses
Nothing hinders your study plans more than sitting down to get started and realizing that you don’t have access to your course materials or haven’t created a login yet. You may have noticed some changes to our website and your course access. We recently upgraded the portal where we offer Spencer Institute and NESTA coaching and training courses. If you purchased a course after March 23rd, 2022, you will find all of your courses in one place within our new learning portal. If your course was purchased prior to March 23rd, 2022, you will still access your materials via their legacy sites.
Do you have multiple accounts?
You need to make sure you use the same email address once you’ve initially created an account at learn.nestacertified.com. When you return to the original training sites, you will be asked to register again and when you do, you will select “I am an existing user”. When you log in with your new login, the course will be added to your account. If you need help, please contact us we’ll be happy to assist you.
Put Yourself in the Instructor Role
If you imagine that you’ll need to teach someone else the material you are trying to grasp, you can speed up your learning and remember more. Putting yourself into the teaching role changes your mindset and forces you to engage with more effective approaches to learning and knowledge retention. You will find that when faced with explaining the information to someone else, you will naturally latch onto and point out the important, key points. Doing this will also be great practice for when you do pass your exam and start coaching and training your new clients!
Take Notes by Hand
While it’s faster to take notes on a laptop, using a pen and paper will help you learn and comprehend better. Research has shown that when students take notes by hand, they are more active listeners and are more easily able to identify key concepts. Taking notes on a laptop can also increase the likelihood that you will become distracted by emails or social media.
Bonus Tip: One of the best methods to take notes is to use the Cornell Note System which helps keep your notes organized, and creates efficient study sheets for you to use later on.
Space out your Learning and Study Sessions
While it sounds counterintuitive, you can learn faster when you practice distributed learning, or “spaced practice.” If you are like many students, you likely study quickly and try to memorize all of the material just before a test. You might learn new words or concepts during that one study session, but if you never look at them again, you are likely to not remember them when you finally do take your exam. Studying new information over time is better for long-term learning. Instead of practicing material in only one session, you can try studying the information several times throughout the week.
Remember, when you earn your certification, you will be able to start your new career or business and earn a great living!
Take a Walk Before Your Exam
It’s been proven that exercise can boost your memory and brain power. Research has shown that just 20 minutes of physical activity before an exam can improve your performance.
Reward Yourself and Overcome Procrastination With An Activity You Enjoy
There are many ways to integrate a reward system into your habits so you learn how to study for exams more efficiently. A fast and easy way to do this by making a top 10 list of activities that you really love to do: like going on social media, listening to music, playing video games and online shopping, even enjoying a healthy, delicious snack. Define a study goal (for example, read and take notes of Chapter 2) and when you finish that study goal, reward yourself with ten minutes of your enjoyable activity.
Join the NESTA and Spencer Institute Support Group
For ongoing support, customer service, and to get your questions answered, join our support community on Facebook.
Teach Someone What You Have Learned
The best way to test if you really understand something is to try to teach it to someone else. Ask one of your friends or someone in your family to spend time each evening as your student, and walk them through the new concepts you learned that day.
Use Apps to Block Distracting Sites on Your Computer and Phone!
Using something like the SelfControl app can help you avoid distractions by blocking specific websites for a certain amount of time. Download it to your computer and your phone for maximum efficiency!
Create Flashcards for Quick and Easy Memorization
Flashcards are great because you can take them anywhere and study on the fly. You can quickly test your knowledge of key concepts, definitions, quotes, and formulas even while waiting in line at the DMV.
Take Regular Study Breaks
When your brain is working, you need to take regular study breaks to help your brain absorb more information but also to keep you motivated and focused when you are working. Make sure that you are taking short breaks (after about 45-50 minutes of studying) to refresh and recharge your brain. When you go any longer without a break, you are actually less likely to retain the information.
Meditate
Meditation is a great way to stay focused when studying. Not only will meditation help you concentrate when studying, but it can also help reduce that pre-exam stress.
Our final piece of advice as you prep for your exams is to stay positive and remember that when you earn your certification, you will have the confidence and knowledge to start a successful training or coaching career and make a great living.
P.S. – Did you love these study tips? Want to learn more about the science behind memory and Brain Health? You can enroll in our Certified Brain Fitness Course through The Spencer Institute.
That’s it for now.
Take action!
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