Finals week can be the most stressful week for a student, especially in college. Make sure you are prepared for your exams with all of these tips. They will surely help you get through your finals.
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Week of Finals Week
Stay calm. Knowing that you have so much to do can be super overwhelming. Your mind cannot retain information if you’re not calm. Make a schedule of when your finals are and prioritize your studying. Study the subjects that you are least comfortable with the most and the ones you are most comfortable with the least.
Try to study a few hours of a day on a particular subject to keep yourself from losing motivation and interest. With each subject, look over the main topics and group the concepts under them together. Try making concept maps, watching videos or using color coding to connect concepts together.
Stay clear from sugary drinks and snacks. The artificial sugar causes the brain cells to not be able to signal each other correctly. You need your brain cells working correctly when you study.
Night Before Finals Week
Try not cram everything in the night before. (This sounds cliché but we always tend to do it.) When you cram the night before, you’ll get all the information confused, leaving it pointless to stay up late.
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Morning of Finals Week
Make sure you wake up about an hour before your exam. That gives your body and mind time to wake up and time to look over any last minute concepts. Dressing nice is a way to boost your confidence when taking an exam. We all know the motto: “Look good, feel good.” Try to eat things that will give you energy such as grains and eggs. Stay away from sugary cereals or overload on coffee before your exam.
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During the Exam
Skip any questions you don’t know. Try to give yourself about 10 minutes at the end to go back and answer the questions that you skipped. If you’re not sure of the answers, look for the answers that stick out from the rest (ex. sunflower, rose, daisey, and frog). Another trick is to look for opposites. Some professors include answers that are opposites to trick you but it can be a hint.
Sometimes you are able to narrow down your answers to a 50/50 shot. Trust your gut. You are more likely to be right on your first guess than your second. Rereading can cause you to misinterpret the question.
Good luck with finals!