If you've ever thought you took good notes, then the exam came and it looked nothing like class, this post is for you. These are the methods I'd use to raise your exam grades in any engineering class.
1. Take notes with the Why method
Your notes don't need to be pretty. They don't need to be 15 different colors. None of that matters if you aren't understanding what's going on in class.
I use something I call the Why method. For every step your professor does in an example, ask yourself why. If they take a moment about point B, ask why they chose point B, and write that reason down next to the equation. When you look back at your notes, you'll know exactly why each step was done.
Your exam is usually going to be different from the examples in class and the problems in your homework. You have to take the fundamentals and apply them to new situations. The only way to do that is to really understand what's happening.
A lot of the time we get into a rhythm of solving problems one way. Then the exam is a little different and it completely ruins us. So write your equations, and write a line next to them stating why that step was done. If you're confused about why something was done, that's the perfect question to bring to office hours.
2. Use units to check every answer
This works on easy problems and harder ones. As long as you have units, you can work out an equation.
Say you know the velocity and the cross sectional area, and you need the flow rate. Even if you forgot the formula, you know that square meters times meters per second gives you cubic meters per second. Those are the units the problem asked for.
If you accidentally divided velocity by area, you'd know right away it was wrong, because the units wouldn't match.
The same thing works on harder problems. If you're finding kinetic energy and you forget the equation, get the units you were given into joules and you'll have your answer. It's just dimensional analysis. It's simple, and you can use it to check every answer. It works especially well in fluids and thermo.
3. Do your homework without the solutions
If you want to pass your classes with the least amount of wasted effort, do your homework without cheating.
Everyone knows the obvious kinds of cheating, like copying a friend, using AI, or finding the answers online. The one I want to talk about is when your professor provides the solutions and you use them while you do the homework. This is risky because you can trick yourself into believing you understand the material when you don't.
Do the homework first. Then check the solutions. Take any problems you missed to your professor.
If you can do all of the homework problems, quizzes, and in class examples on your own, you'll at least get a C on the exam. And I don't mean memorizing answers. I mean if someone handed you the problem, you could solve it and explain the fundamentals and assumptions behind it. That's the minimum. Aim higher.
4. Practice with old exams
Professors usually don't completely change their exams from semester to semester. The wording might change, but the concepts and problems often stay the same.
Go through old exams problem by problem and learn how to solve them. Again, that doesn't mean memorizing. You want to be able to solve it even if the numbers change, the wording changes, or you're given different parameters. If you have several old exams, look for the problems that show up year after year.
Only use exams that were legitimately shared or made available for studying. If your professor prohibits having or sharing old exams, don't do it.
And old exams should be one tool in your toolbox. They aren't a replacement for going to class, doing your homework, and understanding the material.
5. Study a little every day
Picture this. You have a dentist appointment coming up, but you only start brushing and flossing a week before. That sounds crazy, right? But a lot of students do the same thing with exams.
When you start studying a week before the exam, you're at a disadvantage. You have to review everything for that class while you still have homework, quizzes, and labs for all your other classes.
If you do a little every day, it all compounds. When the exam comes, the knowledge is already built up and your brain has actually retained it.
Cramming might get you a B, but your brain is only learning what it needs for the test. Then it's gone the second the test is over. That's what makes finals so hard. Study consistently all semester and you won't be pulling all nighters.
For a full weekly study schedule, read How to Study in Engineering School.