Finals week can be
a stressful time for students. Ensure you’re prepared for your exams with these study tips,
which can help you conquer your finals.
Follow this list
as finals week approaches (the earlier you prep, the better) so you can ace
your exams from start to finish:
1. Create your own
study guide.
While many
teachers provide a study guide, creating your own can help you understand the
material better. Outlining the important information you need to learn can be
helpful, both in creation and to refer to during your studies.
2. Ask questions.
Your professors
and TA’s are there to help! Ask them questions regarding the material and the
exam so that you’re prepared when exam time arrives.
3. Attend the
review session.
Review sessions
offer vital information on exam format, what will be on the exam and key
concepts you should be focusing your studies on.
4. Start early.
If you always
start ahead of schedule, you’ll never be cramming the night before an exam.
You’ll almost always perform better in doing so!
5. Organize a
group study session.
It can be helpful
to study in groups – sometimes. Evaluate whether or not studying with others
will be beneficial to the subject as well at your learning process.
6. Study things
not on the study guide.
Study guides
aren't always comprehensive – they’re just suggestions of the main concepts to
learn. Use your study guide for its intended purpose: a guide. Be sure to fill
in the blanks with related information.
7. Take breaks.
You won’t be able
to memorize or comprehend all the material at once. Balance is key - ensure
that you reward learning with break times to recharge and relax.
8. Stay
well-rested.
There’s a lot to
be said about a good night’s sleep. Make sure you’re well-rested so that you can be fully focused during
your exams.
9. Create a study
schedule - and follow it.
Splitting the
material into chucks you can actually achieve can be very beneficial. That way,
you can keep track of what you’ve accomplished instead of looking at the big
picture and getting overwhelmed.
10. Prioritize
your study time.
Some exams will be
more difficult than others, some you may find easier to study for. Some may be
worth more of your grade than others. Make sure to evaluate all of your exams
to consider and determine all of the involved factors so you can study
accordingly.
11. Study for the
style of exam.
If it’s multiple
choice, you’ll need to know definitions and concepts. For essay exams, focus on
your understanding of all the concepts presented, with examples in mind.
12. Quiz yourself.
If you think about
and create actual exam questions, you will likely become more familiar with
what you need to study and, in the meantime, familiarize yourself with the type
of language that will be on the exam. Draft potential exam questions and quiz
yourself so that you can set expectations of what you need to focus on.
13. Meet with your
professor or TA.
Often times,
meeting with an instructor, whether it’s a professor or a TA, can give you
helpful hints for what to study and ways to prepare for the exam.
14. Reorganize
your notes.
Evaluate and
reorganize your notes into what’s important, outlining important concepts,
formulas dates and definitions so they’re easy to understand.
15. Pace yourself.
Make sure you stay
focused and don’t burn yourself out. A great way to do so is to pace yourself
rather than opting for the dreaded all-nighter. You can easily pace yourself by
following tips like starting early, creating a study schedule and taking breaks
when necessary!
16. Teach
classmates.
Learning by
teaching is a method that really works! If you work with a study buddy and
explain concepts to one another, you're re-learning the material all over
again. It's a great way to reinforce what you've learned and help someone in
the meantime!
17. Revolve your
focus.
Switching up your
subjects is a helpful way to learn everything for your exams while preventing
burnout on one topic. Make sure to switch it up before your eyes glaze over!
That way, you can keep studying for longer periods of time while maintaining
your focus.
18. Color code it.
Create a system
that allows you to color code material that's going to be on the exam by what's
most important, less important, etc. This will help you focus on the most
pertinent information and prioritize the material.
19. Visualize.
If you're a visual
learner, it can help to create mind maps or diagrams to visualize how the
concepts you're learning relate to one another. This is especially beneficial
when learning concepts that build upon the understanding of one another, like
in science courses.
20. Make it fun.
It's easier to focus if you adapt to studying by
quizzing yourself, creating acronyms or rewarding yourself for a job well done.
Create a game plan - literally - that allows you to accomplish tasks and be
rewarded for each. For example, why not reward yourself with a piece of
chocolate or a sip of your coffee after you've accomplished a new chapter or
allow yourself five minutes of free time for every chunk of material you
digest? You can even add in fun factors like power-ups every time you learn a
new definition and lose a life, which means you add another definition to your
list, when you get an answer wrong!
Reprinted from fastweb.com.