Midterms and finals suck the life out of you and then kick your dead ass out onto the street. They all seem to be bunched up around the same time too and every professor seems to like to pull out their secret weapons on you at the last minute by testing you on things that no one ever remembers.
But as you’re sitting there, three days before the exam trying to read through everything you were supposed to read from the first day on, remember that lectures are usually readily available on ilearn and that key terms and concepts are essential to your studying. Stress is a massive memory block; you will not learn or remember anything when your mind is being clouded with stress. Take study breaks, study breaks are crucial because you have to let information sink in before you move on. Trying to cram meaningless dates and titles into your brain will prove futile. The best way to memorize something is to write it down and then vocalize it several times. If you recite the information to yourself with and without the flash cards the information engraves itself into your memory. The best way to go about studying is to follow along with the class schedule and stay on top of things. It’s easier than trying to cram the night before.
My best recommendations for times like these is to make a super kick ass music playlist that’ll keep you going through study time, pre make snacks so they are available when needed and put on some super comfy pajamas.
My Super Kick Ass Music Playlist (for midterms/finals):
–The Distillers, album: “The Distillers”
–Mindless Self Indulgence, album: “How I Learned to Stop Giving a Shit and Love Mindless Self Indulgence”
–Reggie and the Full Effect, album: “Last Stop: Crappy Town”
–Bad Religion, album: “Stranger Than Fiction”
–Red Hot Chili Peppers, album: “Stadium Arcadium”
–Green Day, album: “Uno…Dos…Tre”
–The Banner, album: “Each Breath Haunted”
–Leathermouth, album: “XØ”