We’re in the home stretch- you can smell the Christmas trees and taste the gingerbread; it’s almost time to go home for the holidays. There’s just one thing standing in your way- finals. Despite how many times you go through the exam period, finals never fail to make everyone stressed and a little bit crazy. They seem overwhelming, impossible, and unfair. You probably can’t remember what you did last Saturday; let alone what you learned in Stat class in September. However, with these simple tips you can be on your way home with grades worth cheering about!
Attitude is Everything
Although you may not feel prepared, think you’ll remember everything (or anything for that matter), or even study as much as you think you should have, a bad attitude can sabotage you before you even open the blue book. A bad attitude causes you to stress yourself out and forget what you do know. So think positive and don’t discourage yourself. Remind yourself that you know what you’re doing and studied as much as you could!
Study Effectively
Close Facebook, stop watching last night’s Walking Dead, and don’t let time in Gelman turn into hanging out with friends. While all of these things are much more fun than studying and are undeniably tempting, they’re all ways you’re sabotaging yourself. So, try to refrain from them the best you can. Time and again, studies have shown that the key to memorization is repetition. So break out the flash cards and study guides and be prepared to look at them again and again. Have a friend quiz you and think of funny memorable ways to memorize boring, monotonous facts (and as a break, quiz them back!). Studying in advance, while not always possible, is also a great idea. It’ll help you to retain more information and better understand the subject matter come test day.
Attend Review Sessions
While showing up to optional classes may seem daunting, oftentimes you’ll get the best information at review sessions. Your professors will not only be most likely to tell you where to focus your efforts for the exam, the format of it, and answer any questions you may have, but they’ll also appreciate that you showed up and take note of it. Then, when you need your grade bumped from a C+ to a B- they’re happy to help. Also, don’t be afraid to show up to a Q&A review session without any questions, other students will have tons of questions you can learn from, and they may pop up halfway through.
Utilize the Test Bank
The Student Association has a test bank available for all students. It’s an online resource full of syllabi and previous exams from other students who have taken your classes in past semesters. This can be a great way to know what to expect come test day, just don’t rely too much on it. Teachers do change their exams! Here’s the link: http://sa.gwu.edu/bank.html
Pace Yourself
Each exam is two hours long. This means it’s a marathon, not a sprint. It’s always a good idea to take your time, answer the questions carefully and thoughtfully, and check your responses. Skip questions that you don’t know or need time to think about, and answer the easiest ones first. Take breaks in between sections if you need them, and ask questions if something seems unclear.
Remember these tips while studying for finals and as always, GOOD LUCK!