Why practice tests should be the first and last step in the studying process.

I'm sure you've all seen the bumper stickers or posters that read, "I'd rather be fishing." If I were to stick one of these on my car I'd supplant fishing with golfing. You might choose "singing," "eating" or "grooming my chia pet." Regardless of what activity you'd rather be doing, it's pretty safe to say that activity isn't studying.

Whether or not you consciously ask yourself before hitting the books, the paramount question when studying is "How can I maximize the time I spend doing this?" Or, in other words, it's all about efficiency, baby.

In my humble opinion it all starts and ends with the practice test. When you sit down to study, you have a good idea of where your strengths and weaknesses lie, but that doesn't mean you should head straight to your notes to solidify what's lacking. Start by taking a practice test (usually provided by your professor, textbook publisher or frat brothers).

You may realize that while you find the material on circuits to be hazy, the test questions on circuits all progress similarly. Spending a short amount of time with the method employed to solve these questions will get you to where you need to be. Think of it as inductive versus deductive studying.

So start with the practice test, understand what you need to focus on, do what's necessary to grasp that material, then take a second practice test (or even re-take the first one). If you can complete all of the problems without assistance or peeking at the solution page, you are good to go. If a certain problem still trips you up, repeat steps 2-4. Consider yourself enrolled in the Brian McKnight school of studying.

Just make sure you don't fall victim to the practice test trap.

Are practice tests your go-to guy for studying? On the contrary, think they are overrated? Share your thoughts!

Before the test you can study alone or in a group – which option is the way to go?

Everybody has their preferred method of studying. Some are a.m. studiers, some are more nocturnal. Some power through with no nourishment, others make their desk look like the dinner table at a Bavarian holiday party. But no matter when, where or how, studying can always be broken down into a dichotomy: studying in a group or studying alone.

Study groups pool the brainpower of several classmates. Granted, this pool might only amount to slightly more knowledge than you possess yourself, but at other times the pool can be akin to the Mensa JV team. That's why you should always hedge your bets with a decent amount of self-studying. Knowing a bit about the material beforehand will ensure that the group functions as a study group and not an extra class session that your syllabus didn't warn you about.

On the bright side, study groups can normally be relied on to alert you about a section you missed or to steer you away from the incorrect method you were using to solve a certain problem. You may not get the most bang for your buck, but you should walk away with tidbits you wouldn't have discovered alone.

Studying alone is usually the best option if you are in power mode. If you have a load of material to cover and/or multiple hours ahead of you, self-study is probably the best option. In my experience, studying alone helps me learn and comprehend the material while studying in a group helps reinforce and solidify the material.

My favorite strategy has always been to study alone for the majority of the time and then join a study group the night before the test to make sure I haven't missed anything.

And even if that study group turns out to be pointless… hey, at least I walk away more confident about my chances against the curve.

Studying in a group or studying alone: Which method is better? What are the benefits of each method that the other can't achieve?