As finals season is approaching, college students everywhere are starting to get stressed out. Not only are we trying to finish everything we put off until April, but we also have to get into study mode for those huge tests looming over our heads. Take a look at some of these tips for how I try to stay ahead.
1. Write everything down
One of the most important things I have found when preparing for finals is to really schedule out the rest of your semester from here on out. Professors are trying to cram every last assignment and paper in before reading day, so make sure to stay on top of your work now.
2. Create your own study guides
Personally, I rarely get study guides from the teacher; it’s more of an open “look over the notes” type of guide. By creating your own study guide, you will be able to go over the material you think is important.
3. Meet with your professor or TA
If there is a concept you do not fully understand, go to office hours. Not enough students utilize office hours where you can sit down and ask all of the questions you really want to know and have them personally explained to you. We usually do not have this luxury on such a big campus, so everyone should use these!
4. Create a study schedule
This goes along with my first tip to write everything down, but I like to add times in my Google Calendar for studying. Then, I set a notification for 30 minutes before I should start studying. This makes me hold myself to it and actually start studying instead of putting it off. If I can schedule an hour of studying every day, it stops me from having to cram the night before, which leads into my next tip.
5. Don’t set yourself up to fail
A lot of students start studying for their tests a day or two before. If you are able to start going through everything now, you will be way more prepared for the exam. You are also able to ask questions now and get better answers instead of desperately Googling the concepts the night before the exam.
6. Go through all your notes
For every final I am going to take, I like to go back through all of the notes I have taken this semester. I take note of what I have highlighted, and this is usually how I create my own study guide later. By getting everything organized ahead of time, you will be able to find formulas or key terms easier.
7. Relax
Finals are such a stressful time for most students, but by following some of these tips, you can be more prepared for when your test comes around!