As the end of the first semester nears, the dreaded final loom is quickly approaching. Whether you have an exam before or after Thanksgiving, the stress felt either time is incredibly real. So, here are some tips to best prepare you and help boost your confidence when going to take your exams.
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Study: Easier said than done, but actually set aside time each day leading up to your exam to review material. This will help you feel as prepared as possible when taking your exam and helps refresh all the learned information. When studying be sure to have an organized space, try practice problems and tests, look over old quizzes or tests. If you are a verbal learner talk out the questions or even meet with a group and explain your answers to them. Also know when you focus best during the day and study then to maximize the effectiveness of your studying.
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Take advantage of resources: Resources such as professors’ office hours, math and writing center help, other classmates, etc. are all great means that can help improve the quality of your work, in turn boosting your grades.
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Schedule time to spend with friends: Despite finals being very time consuming, remember to take time off to socialize with friends. Not only will this help keep some balance in your life but it is a great way to reset. Having that reset is essential to making sure you’re ready to get back to studying and won’t be as burned out with school.
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Don’t forget to take care of yourself: Often when we get busy, one of the first things to go is prioritizing your own health. Instead of skipping a workout and stress eating, look at healthy habits as a way to recharge yourself. It’ll give you the most energy to power through long days. Self-care doesn’t just mean doing a face mask but goes further to getting up at a reasonable hour, making your bed and cleaning your space, eating a breakfast that will help boost your energy, brushing your teeth and washing your face, wearing an outfit that makes you feel good, etc..
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Give yourself something to look forward to: Maybe it’s as simple as grabbing a coffee from your favorite place or buying yourself something you have wanted for a while, but having something to look forward to when you’re all done with your exams is a great motivator. Additionally, with the holidays in the near future scheduling, some fun festive activities with friends can be a great motivator for getting through finals.