It’s that time of the year again! No, not Christmas….Finals!! If that word strikes pure fear in your heart and you are dreading studying, here are some tips to help you get through it.
1. Mix It Up
Don’t study one subject for hours on end. You should study in 20-50 minute increments and give yourself a 5-10 minute break between each session. Try studying one subject for a little and then taking a short break and studying another subject.
2. Listen to Music
Personally, I love the Pride and Prejudice soundtrack and my roommate loves to listen to Les Misérables when she’s studying. Studies have shown that certain types of music, like Mozart’s compositions — which follow a 60 bpm pattern — have been shown to activate both the right and left sides of the brain in listeners. Stimulation of both sides is linked with increased recall, and so listening while studying can help increase the likelihood that you will retain relevant information.
3. Reward Yourself
Have some candy or another snack next to you and eat a few pieces every time you finish studying a pre-determined amount of info (whether it be by pages, chapters, or topics). This will motivate you to keep focused and power through it, no matter how boring the material is.
4. Change Locations
Been studying in the library all day? Move to Lower or the Chocolate Bar to study. This will keep you from getting cabin fever and also give you a little break while you change locations. Just because the library is now open 24 hours doesn’t mean you have to stay in there for 24 hours.
5. Safety in Numbers
No, I’m not talking about “helping” each other during the exam. I’m talking about a study group. To test if you really understand something, try explaining it to someone else. This is good because it can increase your confidence or that person can even add something you may not have thought of.
6. It’s Okay to Take a Break
If you’ve come to the point where the pages are starting to blur or you can’t remember what you read one sentence before, it might be time to take a break. Walk around, grab a snack, call your parents/siblings/friends to say hello. Just get your mind off studying for a little.
Good luck to all of BC with studying for finals! And remember, you made it through finals before and you can do it again. Even if it seems like it, the world is not coming to an end.
Sources:
Photo Sources:
http://pattycastillo.weebly.com/
http://themetapicture.com/studying-incentive/
http://www.bc.edu/content/bc/offices/dining/locations/chocbar.html
http://flashmobsintheclassroom.blogspot.com/2013/04/teaching-science-and-arts-together.html