1. Drink Lots of Healthy Fluids: Water, Juice, Tea, etc.
As much as we all would love to take three 5 Hour Energy shots, you’d be surprised at how much a cold glass of water can do for your energy levels. Juice has a lot of natural sugars in it than can increase your energy levels, and some herbal teas have caffeine in them without all the added chemicals of energy drinks.
2. Limit the Amount of Energy Drinks and Coffee You Drink.
It may sound like a good idea to get a venti mocha with three extra shots, but, trust me, your body won’t appreciate it later. Every high comes crashing down at some point. Wait to drink something caffeinated until you feel yourself slipping while studying.
3. Study in Increments
Everyone’s’ mind starts wandering when he or she has been studying organic chemistry for six hours straight. So take a break. Walk around or do some jumping jacks. Take a power nap. Go give your friends a pep talk. But, don’t get distracted for hours. Cap your break at half an hour to clear your head and then go back to studying.
4. Be Sure to Sleep at Least 6 Hours a Day
Pulling an all-nighter the night before an exam is not going to help you. Your body needs sleep to function well…which is kind of the goal of studying to begin with. Sleep for at least five hours a night (or whenever you can find time). Taking power naps of 30 minutes to an hour can do a lot for your energy level.
5. Focus on One Exam at a Time
Don’t try to study history, calculus and astronomy all at once. Figure out which exam is first and focus on that for a while, then move on to others once you feel generally prepared. Then come back to it before the exam again.
6. Sit in the Same Seat You Sat in During Class
Studies show you’ll recall more information, if you sit in the same seat during the test that you sat in when you learned the information the first time. This is assuming your final is in the same room as your class…and that you went to class. Arriving early to the exam will help, and if your seat is taken, just find one near it.
7. Teach Other People the Material
Teaching other people is one of the best ways to study, and it helps you quiz yourself. If you don’t have anyone in your class to study with, grab a friend, boyfriend or sorority or fraternity bud, and explain the concepts to them if they have time. This method helps you build confidence in yourself and simplify the information.
8. Eat Before Your Test
One of the worst things you can do to yourself is spend so much time studying that you skip meals. Like sleep, your body needs nutrients to function. Eat a well-balanced meal (more than a Poptart) before you take a test. You can even take your notecards to the diner. Just make sure you eat.
9. Dress Decently to Exams, Even If You Don’t Feel Like It
If you bum it to the exam, you’ll bum it on the exam. Dress like you want to succeed, not like you just rolled out of bed. It sounds like the least important thing ever during finals week, but if you look good, you’ll feel good. And, confidence is the key to performance. I’m not saying wear a tux. Just dress like you normally would to class. Take a shower. Put on some deodorant. You know what to do.
10. It’s Just a Test And It’ll Be Over Soon, And…
We all know how stressful final exams are, especially with our school’s unfortunate +/- grading system, along with most exams being worth 30+% of our class grade. But remember…it’s just a test. This is one test, in one class, in one semester, in one year of your college career. If you don’t do as well as you hoped, contrary to what you may believe, the world will not end. Miley Cyrus will keep twerking, your mother will still love you, and you will move on with your life. So try to calm down and find some perspective.