Sophomore Joy Tang felt doomed.

It was the day after finals, and she didn’t have any time at all that week to study for her permit test. Desperate, she tucked the driver’s Handbook under her pillow, hoping it would bring her luck in the test the next day. Tang passed.

This is just one of the unusual methods students use to study.

Tang also has a unusual way of studying vocabulary words.

“I make the most ridiculous analogies for vocab words when I’m studying,” Tang said. “I break words up into something completely random so I can remember them.”

Tang said in order to remember words, she connects them to other words that sound similar.

“For laudable, to me it sounds kind of like laundry,” Tang said. I’m always grateful that my mom does my laundry for me, even though it is such a small task. So that's how I remember that laudable means deserving praise or commendable.”

Junior Steven Cho also has his own unusual way of studying.

Cho said he listens to music when studying for math tests, assigning each step of a problem to a specific part of a song he likes. When taking the test, he associates the parts of the song with the steps of the problem.

Cho is not alone by using music to study.

Sophomore Supriya Khandekar said that she likes to “bounce around to some nice music” while studying for history and English.

Junior Caitlin Hung also uses music for studying; however, she takes a more unconventional approach.

“I have to study with a lot of noise,” Hung said. “Since my siblings are so noisy, I have to blast music when they're not making noise.”

Hung said she plays iheartradio, which is a radio station, on her phone when her siblings are absent. She also said that she does not like to study in libraries because they are so quiet.

“The library is empty and its so quiet,” Hung said. “Basically, I work better when there's lots of noise.”

Junior Akshay Madhani does not incorporate music into his studying, but he says timing is everything. Madhani said he finds the best time to study is before the night before a test.

“I never study before the night before a test,” Madhani said. “I know this sounds crazy to some, but except for midterms/finals, I don't think [studying before that is] a great idea.”

Madhani said that by studying the night before, he recalls the information much better.

“What you should do if you're really worried about the test is just finish all your homework and commitments for that day beforehand,” Madhani said. “Doing a lot of the same thing the night before makes sure the material is fresh in your mind and you are in the right gears to take the test.”

Madhani thinks this particular study habit is the secret to his success.

“Studying only on the night before, no matter how big the test is a huge boost,” Madhani said.