1. Organize your materials: Getting organized it the first step when getting ready for finals. Before learning the material, you need to make sure that you have all of your notes, old exams, and other important resources organized neatly by subject. This makes it much easier to begin studying than if there were random papers scattered everywhere.
2. Make a study schedule: Studying for multiple exams can be overwhelming and stressful. One of the best ways to get prepared and stay on top of your work is to make a study schedule. By doing this, you can plan out each day and make sure that you spend enough time on each subject. It is always good to break up work into sections and do a little bit each day, which can be easily done by following a schedule.
3. Use colors: One thing I always do when making study guides or reading through my notes is to use highlighters and colored pens. By doing this small, seemingly insignificant act, I have more fun studying. It is much nicer to look at a piece of paper that is brightly colored than one that is just plain black text.
4. Find the right space: Finding the right space to study is one of the most important things to do when studying. It is critical that each person knows how and where he or she studies best. Whether it is in a private cubicle at FML or a large study room at Lindy, finding the place where you work best is necessary.
5. Take breaks: To ensure that you protect your sanity and remain composed throughout the week, its important to take breaks. No one can study straight for hours and hours without driving themselves a little crazy. Bringing headphones when studying can be a good idea so that you can watch a quick TV episode or listen to some calming music when taking a break.
6. Don’t overdo it: Just because your exams are cumulative does NOT mean that every single thing you learned during the semester will be on the exam. When studying, be sure to pay attention to the large concepts and big ideas and don’t fret too much about remembering every little detail.
7. Sleep: It is estimated that college students need at least 8 hours of sleep each night. While this may be hard to do every single night, it is important to make an effort to get to bed at a decent hour during finals and avoid pulling any “all-nighters”.
GOOD LUCK AND HAPPY STUDYING!