As the semester winds to a close, your stress level is likely winding up to fever pitch. With finals looming in the near future, it’s hard to stay positive. However, a little planning goes a long way to minimizing your stress levels as you strive for the grades you want. If you start thinking about your exam attack plan early enough, you can follow these six steps to guide you through the end of the semester as painlessly as possible.
1. Preparing
Most activities greatly benefit from a dose of organization and planning; studying is no different. Rather than throw yourself at the mountain of work facing you, step back and make a list of what needs to be done and when. Plan a schedule that leaves room for rest, if you can. At the very least, clarify for yourself what subject needs to be studied on which day. This breaks your workload into achievable chunks.
Furthermore, in preparing to study, gather what you need. Drag out all your notes; fresh highlighters, pens and dry-erase markers; and have stacks of note cards and scrap paper at your disposal. Don’t forget to pack your phone and laptop chargers if you relocate when you study—few things are more useless than a laptop with a dead battery.
Be very clear with friends and family that you are adhering to a schedule and will not be available while you are studying. This not only prevents interruption, but also helps you resist the temptation to procrastinate through socializing.
2. Focusing
It’s sometimes difficult to focus when all the comforts of home beckon—why study when you could take a nap or watch television instead? For some, relocating can provide an environment more conducive to studying. The library, a coffee shop or a friend’s room can give you the atmosphere in which you study best—whether you need complete silence, the low hum of white noise or company to stay on track.
If you’ve prepared properly, interruptions should be minimized. Keep yourself honest and either shut off your phone or put it out of reach. Try to use the Internet as little as possible and resist the urge to update your Twitter about how much you hate studying—save the rants for after you’ve aced your exam!
3. Executing
The actual act of studying takes different forms depending on the classes and your study style. Don’t be afraid to find creative ways to help you remember information. Color-coding, mnemonics and even drawing pictures are unique approaches to help retain information.
Whatever study method you choose, stick with it. Don’t take beautiful notes for chapters one through five and fall down on chapters six through ten—set short-term goals and reach them! Segment your work so you can “finish” something before moving on.
Don’t forget to take breaks. You need to be kind to your brain and let it rest a little when you demand so much. A five-minute coffee break, eye drops and a short walk down the hall can help refresh your attention. If you’re hitting a wall, consider switching subjects and work on something else for a while. If all else fails, a short nap can help bring your focus back. Remember, it’s no good if your head is spinning so badly that you can’t read your textbook—you aren’t retaining anything at that point. Recognize you might need to prioritize.
4. Relaxing
Cramming up to the last second is often an unfortunate necessity—even when you would really benefit from some rest the night before an exam. Instead, you might find you’ll have to take your relaxation where you can get it. Don’t leave this step out—one calm moment can go a long way to improving your study experience.
If you aren’t into deep breathing exercises, now might be a good time to try—a couple yoga stretches can get your blood circulating after sitting still in front of a laptop screen for too long. Try to leave your tension in one spot and move to another—even if it’s only a seat across the room. The change in scenery can give you a fresh perspective.
Some people drink tea, some take a break and watch a television show and others go out to eat with friends. There are many approaches to relaxation. The most important thing is to save the time to relax, no matter how you choose to do so.
5. Performing
Naturally, the point of studying is to do well on an exam. After you’ve prepared for the test, you can still take steps to ensure you do your best. If your exams are not during regular class time, be sure you know the date, time and location. Gather all your test materials well in advance; scrambling for exam books, bubble sheets or pencils at the last minute is stress you can easily avoid.
Use the buddy system to help others do well, too. Arrange for wake-up phone calls with friends to make sure everyone is up on time and attends the exam. Everyone knows a good breakfast helps on test day—plan to eat breakfast with your friends. You can all fuel up while discussing last-minute questions on study material.
6. Recovering
It’s easy to think you’re finished once you leave the exam room, but it’s good to take your study plan one step further. You need to shed your finals stress so you don’t carry it with you into your school break. Take conscious steps to put your eating and sleeping habits back on schedule.
Try something therapeutic to give yourself closure. Selling textbooks or recycling notes you no longer need can help you recognize the class is over. Don’t spend the week following the test worrying about your score—let the stress slide off.
To shake off the last of your concerns, reward yourself for creating a study plan and sticking to it. Find a way to celebrate your success—even if it’s small. It might require a little more planning, organization and dedication than your usual study method, but following these steps can help cut down on your end-of-semester stress.