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Tips to Being Successful During Finals
Ever get overwhelmed during finals time? Yes it can be a stressful time of year, but these tips will help you make a successful final run.
1. Make a schedule
Get your Excel spreadsheet up and running. Put the subjects to study for in chronological order in which your final exams are in. Study for 2 subjects one day, 2 the next, and repeat. However, keep in mind which finals are going to be the most challenging. Prioritize those finals by spending more time studying for them. And don’t forget to include study breaks!
2. Studying
Study in 20-50 minutes chunks with lots of breaks. Begin studying the material you know. Don’t go in depth-you already know that stuff. Review it so that when you hit the hard topics you will have the basic concepts fresh in your mind.
3. Take Breaks
Taking breaks is just as important as studying. Try taking 5-15 minute breaks between your study chunks. Have a snack or play a game. It will take your mind off the material and you will be refreshed when you return to the books.
4. Material
Take a look at your notes. Don’t rip through the book because you will most likely end up studying concepts you never learned. Your notes, homework, past exams and quizzes are going to be the key for what’s going to be on the final.
5. Group Study
Explaining concepts out loud will help you organize what you know and don’t know. It also allows you to go over material faster by dividing and conquering concepts. Plan to meet on certain days at certain times. This avoids people blowing it off if it wasn’t “set in stone.” Make sure there is at least one person in the study group that knows what they are talking about. And if you end up helping someone in some situation, explaining it to someone helps you better learn the material yourself.
6. Exercise
Try to get at least 20 minutes of cardio workout each day. Exercising increases your metabolism, reduces stress while improving mood and attention. It also boosts the likelihood of your brain cells connecting. These all are factor which contribute to a better performing brain.
7. Disciplined, but Rewarding
Temptations are all around you: friends going to the movies, out to eat or out to the bars. Stop and think of how much studying you could get done. Even taking a day or two off from work will tally up 5-10 hours of extra studying. Be disciplined, but also reward yourself.
8. Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help
It’s that time of semester where students stress out if they can’t nail that concept for the final exam. It’s okay there are professors, TA’s, classmates and the on campus tutoring program to help. Most often professors are more helpful one-on-one.
9. Find a Quiet Place to Study
Avoid the noisy cafeteria, your dorm, common room, or even the first floor of most university libraries. Seek out the quiet floors or rooms which have little to no distractions. As much as technology and social media is a large part of our lives, avoid checking it every 5 minutes.
Quick Short Term Tips
1. Get lots and lots of SLEEP!
2. Eat a healthy breakfast
3. CRAMMING – plan ahead!
4. Take a shower the morning of your exam to wake you up.
5. Arrive early to the test site
6. Bring essential materials: pencil, paper, calculator, extra pencils and batteries
7. Go to the bathroom before you take the final
8. Dress comfortable
9. Turn off your cell phone—just to be sure
10. CONFIDENCE!