It’s that time of the year again that every college student dreads, dead week and finals. We procrastinated over and over again saying, “Well, maybe I’ll do it tomorrow.” And before we know it, it’s the week before finals. Now, some people will breeze through their finals without a problem, but for others this is really where the stress begins. How do I study? Will I remember the information? These are all questions we will begin to ask ourselves this upcoming week and I have the answers to all your study problems. The only way to really retain the information is if you find creative and unique ways to study that suits you the best. Here are some creative studying tips.
A:Analogies: It makes things a whole lot easier if you can relate what you are studying to things going on in the world around you.
B: Breaks: It is easier to study for 30 minutes and take a break, rather than to sit and try and concentrate for hours. This is true for two reasons: first, because the chances of your naturally short attention span lasting hours and taking in everything is slim. And second, because after hours of sitting there you will be too exhausted to go on for the rest of the day, and you may even avoid it for the rest of the week.
C:Concentration: We all have naturally short attention spans and we need breaks every now and again. You also need to avoid stimulants like caffeine or depressants like alcohol. These will dampen your ability to sit down and work.
D:Drawing: They say that pictures are worth a thousand words. Draw a diagram, or even a cartoon that will help you better understand. Or you can look for one that’s been drawn by someone else.
E: Exams: Try going through old exams and papers so that you will be prepared for the questions you will see on the final exam.
F:Forums: There maybe one specifically dealing with your subject that you can talk to other people about.
G:Goals: When it comes to studying you should set goals for yourself. Once you accomplish one goal move on the next, and so on. Always remember to make reasonable goals.
H:Homework: Some colleges have various departments that assist in homework or provide tutors.
I:iPod: Download daily lectures and teachers’ notes to your iPod, so that you can take it with you wherever you go.
J: Jokes: You could try and make jokes out of your material to make them sink in, like a mnemonic. To go even further, you can send them as chain e-mails to your study group and get them to come up with their own. On forums, you could have topics that have these listed, and the ability to add more.
K:Karaoke: You can try and make music out of your own study notes. It can be any style, but rap would work well.
L:Location: You need to have a quiet place, away from people and noise for a few hours at a time, preferably with a desk, some light, and your books. Studying on the floor is uncomfortable and on your bed will be too comfortable, and may result in sleep.
M:Music: Listening to calm, relaxing music will sometimes help you focus more.
N:No Distractions: Just like you can’t go to sleep with loud intrusive music happening around you, it also applies to studying. Make sure you study somewhere quiet with little to no noise.
O:Organized: Have all of your materials stationary and in arms reach whenever you need them.
P:Prepare today what you need for tomorrow: Save time by making sure everything you need for upcoming days is ready to go when you need them.
Q:Questions: Always ask questions when you don’t understand something. “If you don’t ask, they won’t tell”
.R:Read Aloud: If you try to sit down and read quietly, you’ll find that your mind wanders. If you read aloud, you are using more than one of your senses. You’re looking at the work and you’re hearing it, too.
S:Study groups: For those who have a hard time studying alone, create study groups within your classes. They can help you understand the information better and also create friendships.
T:Tiredness: Without sleep it will be very hard to understand and retain what you just studied. So, get at least seven hours of sleep every night.
U:Understanding: It is impossible to learn what you don’t understand.
V:Variety: Studying the same thing all day gets boring quickly. Instead, take different days to do different parts of your work so that the information will remain fresh.
W:Writing: Some people claim that writing the same line over and over will help make the information sink in.
X:Xerox: If you are missing a section of your notes, ask a classmate for theirs and make a copy of it.
Y:YouTube: If you need a more in depth description of how to work a problem or something of that sort, YouTube is a great source.
Z:Zest: It takes the right attitude to sit down and study. You need to approach it as something enjoyable otherwise you won’t feel like doing it.
Hopefully these tips get you through dead week and good luck on finals!