help! how do i study for exams?!

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exams are coming up really fast now, and i am starting to panic. i really need to pass thisyear with good marks, but studying just doesn't work for me!
seriousily, i've tried most of the NT ways, and i can't stop myself from getting distracted! does amyone have an answer?

My strategy started from the first day of class.

1. Pay attention.

2. Take notes.

3. Participate in the class as much as possible or practical.

For the exam, review your notes. If a professor is difficult to get good grades from, try to learn what he looks for on an exam.

For me, I just had "instant recall" but I believe that hinged on how well I paid attention in class. If I had to just prepare by reading the textbook, I would have major problems. Since no amount of studying ever made me feel prepared for the exam, I would just review them 2-3 times and put them away. Stress over the exam does more to cause you trouble than anything else.

Redoing your assignment and tutorial questions helps alot too. i have adapted this practice since i started college and its been fool proof ever since.

also, start studying at least 2weeks before the exam. thats a rule of thumb i have adapted as well.

Close your book and try to recall the information you read. Make sure you show up to every class, pay attentiion and ask questions, if you aren't sure about the reading material. And most of all, do not panic, easier said than done. The hardest part is actually preparing for the test, I find taking the test to be much easier.

It helps me when I teach the material to someone else, but there's not always someone around to do that to/for. So, I adapted it for studying alone in my dorm (which I tend to prefer to being out someplace distracting) and what I do is tudor myself.

Read the book/notes and then close the book and try to either rewrite them from memory or explain them aloud - not just repeat them, but explain them to yourself like you're teaching a class that has never heard of them before. If you have questions or get stuck, you check the notes, but then you make yourself start over with the explanation until you can explain it all without feeling uncertain about what you are saying.
Once I know the stuff well, then I look at sample questions to see what sorts of questions to expect.

wow! you guys have so many awsome ideas1 thank you so much!

Reading/explaining your notes to yourself, OUT LOUD, really works well.

Also if the instructor will let you, record the class in addition to taking notes.

I have software that will time compress the recordings by 50%--if I have time I'll listen to the lectures/key parts during the week before the exam.

mind maps help try http://www.inspiration.com/Freetrial

I found it really helpful to use a whiteboard and multiple colors- I'd map a concept out, or draw some sort of diagram, or just reorganize my notes so that I could see them on the board. Something abut seeing things in bigger scale than on paper and the kinesthetic part of writing/drawing helped me solidify what I had learned and color helped me systematize lots of info and break big concepts down into their parts and understand relationships. Plus, with a whiteboard I was able to stand up and wander/move around as I studied which helped me focus and not be distracted by having to keep myself sitting. It made for a more pleasant studying experience

Sometimes, I'd act like I was the professor and try to 'teach' and invisible student back. It helped when I had an intuitive understanding but knew I would have to give a clear explanation in words on the test.

If you don't have access to a whiteboard, a suitable enough makeshift one can be created by cutting a white or clear plastic bag so that it is one big sheet and then taping that up to your wall so its taut and wrinkle free.

Does it take some extra time? Yes. Did my roommates think I was crazy for talking to myself and writing on trash bags all over my wall? Yes (though they eventually would come to me when they struggles with something so they could see it explained differently). Was it worth it to understand how I learned and figure out a way to make it work? Yes.

Maybe my methods work with your learning style, maybe not. I found that once I ignored "typical" studying advice and instead got creative and was willing to try anything as long as it seemed to make sense with how I understood my learning process and strengths, then I did well. But the key is to first figure out how you learn, no one else can do that for you.
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I use mind maps a lot. My geography teacher said we should make a mind map on an A3 sheet of paper and then laminate it so that it lasts. The whiteboard idea is good. Especially for practicing essays because you can write your plans on it.
You can make your own quizzes to test yourself.
To practice keywords I make wordsearches and crosswords online.
There are revision cards you could use.
If you get distracted easily then mix and match how you revise. Like for example you could spend 15mins making mind maps and then 15 mins practicing key words.
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I'm also revising so I know how stressful it can be.

I make notecards, and I found a place to make online notecards if you prefer typing http://www.flashcardmachine.com/flashcards/ . I typed up pages of definitions and review notes. My teacher posts powerpoints and study questions online and I review those. If you know anyone in your class, study with them. It kind of depends on how your class is set up and how you learn, but notecards help me the most.

I used to retype my notes. I can type faster than I write so it was easier to focus that way.