FINAL PREP TIPS
Whether it’s your first or last, finals week can be overwhelming for anyone. Luckily, there are many ways to combat these jitters and get those high marks! Here are some helpful tips to help you prepare for your final exams, papers, and projects.
Set YOUR Goal
We all have our own expectations regarding our academic performance. You can dramatically improve your motivation by identifying and keeping your higher goal in mind. This can be to get an A in your class or to boost your GPA by 0.5 points. - whatever your goal is, quantify it, plan for it, and do it!
Get Organized
Once you have your goal in mind, it’s time to get organized and prepare for all those study sessions. It can be intimidating to first review notes without sorting through them first. Be sure to categorize your class notes, assignments, and exams. This will help you adjust study styles for different materials. For example, notes are a great way to create a study guide while old exams are useful for quizzing your knowledge.
Schedule it Out
Once you have organized your notes, you’ll have a better idea of how much time you need to spend on each class. Roughly estimate what you need to cover and how long it will take. Then, section off time frames on your calendar for each class. Don’t forget to schedule your breaks too! If you fall off schedule, that’s ok - just do your best to prioritize sectioned-off study times this way you can study a little each day and avoid the stress of cramming.
Create a Study Guide
Creating a study guide can help you review material while creating a handy study tool. Read through your notes first and strategize a systematic format that will make the most sense to you when reading over your study guide.
Buddy Up
All of these steps can be a lot for one person to handle for multiple classes. How to combat this? Buddy up! Study guides and group review sessions foster unique collaboration that is a win-win for everyone involved. If you don’t have a close friend in a class, don’t fret! All it takes is a simple email to a few classmates and you can create a study group so everyone can help one another succeed.
Ask Questions
Smart people ask questions! Don’t be afraid to go to your professor if you are unsure of a topic or have questions about the exam. They have been there to support you all semester and want you to succeed through the end!
Take Breaks
As important as studying is, breaks are equally important! Be sure to take the time to hit the books, but also give yourself the chance to regroup in between sessions. A helpful way to take breaks without getting off track is to set a time for 10-20 minutes and place it by your desk/study space. This way once the alarm goes off you have to return to your study spot and will be more likely to get started again.
Self-Care
Along with breaks, be sure to keep yourself healthy and well taken care of. This includes getting enough sleep, eating well, staying hydrated, and maintaining good hygiene. Sometimes taking the little extra time to take care of yourself will give you more energy to study than if you hadn’t practiced self-care.
We hope these tips help you get through finals and wish you the best of luck! Finish strong stags!
Stags Up & Out,
FUSA Blog
By: Danielle Mank