Finals are fast approaching and you may be currently wishing you could run away, have a drink (and I’m not talking about Starbucks) or stay in bed all day, daydreaming of a nice vacation. Well don’t! Here are a few tips that will not only keep you sane, sober and focused during finals, but also will keep the odds in your favor.
Procrastination Nation
This tip may sound counterproductive, but trust me, if you’re not in the mood to do any work then don’t do any. Allow procrastination to take its course, but limit it…with a timer. It’s better to be in a clear state of mind when studying than studying with lackluster interest. You’ll never learn anything that way! Allow yourself a timed length of procrastination. After about an hour of chill time, start to study as much as you can for an hour. Repeat.
Make Practice Exams
If you have a few ideas about the topics or chapters your test will consist of, conjure up your own questions using textbook questions or exercises to create your own exam. Print out your mock exam and time yourself to see how well you would do under pressure. It’ll definitely prep you for exam day!
Go to ALL Review Sessions
Now I know you hate class and you’re really tired of going, but GO to all of the review sessions. Most professors turn the last class prior to the exam into a review session, while others have a night review session. Whatever the case is, make sure you don’t miss any of the review classes or sessions. Almost all of the time, the professors give hints on what will specifically be on the exam and/or give very precise tips. This will help you a lot, and make sure to take notes as well.
Exam Week
Prior to finals week, go to the computer lab and write up a list of all of your final exams dates, times and all of your final essay assignments. Start from Monday and end with Friday to get a clear idea of what needs to be completed on each day.
Final Works
If you still have work to complete from all of your courses, then copy all of the assignments and place it onto one Word Document. Make the font size small so you can fit all of the material if needed. As you complete each assignment, cross it off of the list.
Organize Material
Gather all of your review sheets and put them into a binder or folder (I like to use essay covers). This will make studying better because it’ll be easier for you to transition from one topic to the next.