Finals are (unbearably) coming up quickly and will sneak up behind you before you know it. We all know that finals week can be very stressful, so here are some tips so you can plan ahead, maximize quality study time and hopefully minimize the amount of stress.
Start Early
As crazy as it sounds, it is okay to start studying early. In fact, it will help maximize your time when it comes to the final days prior to finals. Review notes daily so you do not have to learn all of your semester’s work within a week.
Plan Ahead
Start working on getting all of your notes, homework, projects, essays, etc. on track so you can spend more time focused on finals. Creating a master “to do” list can help keep track of everything.
Review Previous Quizzes and Tests
There isn’t a guarantee these will be the same questions as previously tested, but you can use old questions to get a better idea of what your professor asks of you. Depending if the exams are cumulative or not, you may even find questions on your final that your professor chose to recycle.
Set flexible Goals
I know this sounds crazy, considering how busy schedules can be (which includes losing coveted sleep), it is possible to set goals. Keep in mind, I say set flexible goals. You don’t want to feel discouraged if you can’t stay on a specific schedule with your goals. For an example, “I want to cover 3 chapters of the textbook this week.” With this mindset, there isn’t an additional pressure to accomplish it on a specific day, especially if something else important comes up. Most college students plan day-by-day and can’t plan far ahead. With setting flexible goals, it is more realistic and more likely you will follow through.
Get Sleep
Even if we are busy, it is very bad for your body to not to get the proper sleep. In fact, losing sleep can cause you to forget the material you already spent hours learning.
Set a Schedule
Do not, I repeat, DO NOT procrastinate and wait until the night before. UCLA Researchers have shown a person retains the information the best when they study on a consistent schedule and use the repetitive memory techniques to retain it for longer.
Social media
With modern times, it’s difficult to put away the electronics, but it can be a dangerous distraction. Be sure to put down the cell-phones, sign off of social media, etc. whenever you crack down on studying. Set a small goal and say “Okay, if I read this chapter, then I can spend a couple minutes on my phone.”
Pick and Choose Social Events
Sometimes, you might have to give up hanging out with your friends to study. It’s okay! There will be other times to hang out with them, but not other times necessarily to study.
The best thing you can do leading up Finals weeks is to plan ahead, put away the cell phone, and study throughout the next weeks so you (hopefully) won’t have to cram nearly as much the week of finals.