Hi everyone! Finals are coming up soon as you know and I’m here to give you some tips for studying.
Tip #1: Start early and get organized
The key to feeling prepared is to start early! My organized self likes to get all the past exams, quizzes, notes and miscellaneous papers from the class and organize them by topics or chapters. Once I do that, I paper clip them all together. Doing this helps me because I am able to see which topics I have struggled in and it also allows me to easily access the notes in that section. Dividing each class into folders also helps me stay organized! I try to organize all my files a couple of weeks before finals week, because I feel less stressed when things are organized and it also kind of forces me to start studying, which is a great thing!
Tip #2: Make a schedule
Another thing I like to do to stay organized, is to make a schedule and plan my days out. For example, I’ll put down on Monday I have to look at chapters one through four for Biology and go over all of my old exams for Chemistry. Then, for Tuesday I continue with chapters five through nine for Biology and go over the chapters in Chemistry that I struggled with the most. This will help you plan out accordingly so that you don’t have to study 10 chapters all in one day. When you make your schedule, make sure you leave some days a little lighter than others or give yourself an empty day where you can plan to catch up on work that you didn’t get to finish.
Tip #3: Study in a group
Studying in a group is a great way to collaborate because if you’re confused about one thing, someone may have an answer in their notes or be more knowledgeable about the topic. Personally, I do not like studying with other people, but I’ve tried it out a couple of times this year and it has helped me feel more prepared for exams. The library during December will be packed, so try to reserve study rooms in the library early so you have a place to go with your group in the weeks leading up to finals and finals week.
Tip #4: Talk to upperclassmen
If you have some friends who are upperclassmen and took the classes you are taking, ask them how the finals were for those classes and how they prepared for them. Everyone’s study techniques are different but you could potentially learn from the way other people study. I’ve talked to some of my upperclassmen friends and they told me that the Biology final I am taking is pretty easy and to focus on certain things. Asking questions is free, so talk to people!
Tip #5: Find time to do other activities
Just studying for 10 hours everyday is not healthy! Plan time in your day to go hang out with friends for an hour and grab coffee or take a scenic drive/walk through a city near you or around your campus. The attention spans of adults and teens range from 10-20 minutes, therefore if you are studying for a while, try to do something else to get your brain off of studying. I like to exercise to get endorphins and feel better.
Tip #6: Get sleep
This is important. Getting enough sleep can make or break your studying and learning abilities. If you don’t get sleep then your body will be fatigued and your brain will not be able to retain information as well as a fully rested brain. If you don’t get enough sleep one night, make sure you nap during the day—it can even be a 20-minute power nap in the library. Give yourself a bedtime and try to be in bed at that time and off your phone. Then wake up and go study!
Tip #7: Wear comfy clothes
This really depends on your own style because if you feel you study better in comfy clothes then wear them. But for people like me, being a little fashionable but also wearing comfy clothes is my style. Yes, I like wearing sweats and a hoodie at home, but if I’m going to the library I’m going to throw on sweats, a cute long sleeve, scarf, maybe a hat if I’m there for a long time and a jacket.
Tip #8: Drink water
Humans can not survive without water, so make sure you have a full water bottle on you and that you drink at least two of them throughout the day. It is super important to stay hydrated, I sometimes feel more aware and awake when I drink lots of water.
Tip #9: Eat food
For me, I love to snack and I just love food in general. When I know I’m going to be in the library for a long time, I take baggies of snacks to the library with me and munch on those. I know I get hangry (an angry hungry person), therefore study + hangry me = bad.
Tip #10: Be happy!
I know finals and studying are not fun, but try to stay positive through this time. You will only have a bad couple of weeks if you are always in a bad mood, crying, angry, stressed, etc. Instead try to find the good in finals and try to give yourself rewards for finishing tasks. Such as, if you study efficiently and finish all the chapters you needed to finish and more, reward yourself by buying yourself a piece of candy or sleep early that night! I like to tell myself that if I score a certain score on the exam, I can buy myself a pair of shoes I have really wanted or I can go to the mall when I get back home.
I really hope you took the time to read through each of these tips and that they help! Have a great couple of weeks and get that study grind on.