Countdown to Finals
Finish the year strong with these tips on prepping for finals.
By Haley Shapley, Graduate, University of Pennsylvania
If the thought of finals makes you start to sweat, join the club—nearly 85% of students feel more stressed when finals are on the horizon, according to a recent Student Health 101 survey.
Even if it seems like you have a million facts to memorize, thousands of words to write, and hundreds of pages to read, you can get through this. Read on to find out how.
Step One: Having a Plan
Never underestimate the power of making a plan—and sticking to it.
Jan Sylvert, a student at Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, New York, used to fly sans schedule, until she learned the value it held in helping her balance extracurriculars and academic obligations. By putting everything down on paper, she also got a better grasp on how much time to devote to each class, as well as some insights into what she wasn’t doing very effectively. “I realized that I was studying way too much without a break; my brain was on overload,” she says.
Breaks are more important than you might think, says Mark Easter, a counselor and academic advisor at Mineral Area College in Park Hills, Missouri. “Put in the time to study, but break it up with enjoyable activities—go out and see a movie or whatever,” says Easter. “Don’t lock yourself in a room for three days solid and think that’s going to do the trick. You’ll have burnout without a break.”
Give your brain a breather. Head outdoors and kick around a soccer ball or throw a Frisbee. “Get oxygen flowing,” says Chris Tobias, director of educational excitement at School Skills, a business that provides academic success training. “The exercise releases the stress, and your brain becomes more flexible.”
Tobias recommends using a personal planning calendar or your iPhone app to schedule study time slots into 90-minute study sprints with a 30-minute break for exercise. “Brain recharging creates high-focus study sessions that can cut your study time in half,” he says.
Scheduling time for specific studying also helps make sure you actually get it done. Easter says that older students especially have to plan time carefully because of work and family obligations. If you have a specific block of time set aside, even if something else comes up, you’re more likely to shift that studying to the next available time instead of forgetting about it completely.
Part of being a good planner is also allotting ample time to study—that means not waiting until the night before the test to begin. You may need two weeks or more to properly prepare. “I would really emphasize to not procrastinate,” Sylvert says. “Studying way before an exam really is beneficial."
Prepping Right
If you have a big paper due, “it’s best to break the assignment into smaller units,” recommends Sharon Reed, director of Student Support Services at Grambling State University in Grambling, Louisiana. “Do a time schedule—work on the first section of it on Monday at a certain time, break away from it, then come back that evening.” Coming back after a break can give you a fresh perspective.
For group projects, you want to make sure everyone’s on the same page and knows the portion for which he or she is responsible. Reed says that successful groups often have a point person who reminds everyone about meeting times. Start as early as possible, as the closer you get to the due date, the more everyone will have on his or her plate.
When it comes to studying for a test, make sure you set yourself up for success. “Finding a good place for studying is a necessity; [it should be] free from interruptions and a lot of distractions,” Reed says. “Have enough space to have materials spread out to study. I think you should have adequate lighting; you shouldn’t be in a dark corner.”
Easter warns against highlighting almost everything in your texts and then trying to memorize that information. “It’s not going to print to your memory that way,” he says. “Try putting info in your own words and developing quizzes to test yourself.”
On-Campus Resources
Want a little extra help studying? Your campus is sure to have a number of resources, starting with the person teaching the class. “Go to a professor’s office during office hours and jot down the questions you want to ask,” Reed says. That way, you won’t forget what you wanted clarification on.
Suzanne Raga, a 2011 graduate of Princeton University in New Jersey and author of You Rock! How to Be a Star Student and Still Have Fun, adds that you should always “go to any optional review sessions that professors have, especially before an exam.” Professors and teaching assistants are sure to go over material that will be on the test, so make a point to attend any review sessions.
When Raga was an underclassman, she took advantage of organized study sessions with older students, and Sylvert likes to use the online databases her college provides access to in order to complete projects. Tutoring, writing centers, and study groups are other resources likely at your disposal.
Staying Healthy
Your inclination may be to run on no sleep, stop working out, and eat out of vending machines, but keep in mind that the better you take care of yourself physically, the better you’ll be able to perform mentally.
“If you’re not getting the rest you need, the less you’re going to retain,” says Easter.
Raga adds: “If you’re stressed out, run down, grumpy, and not exercising, you simply can’t perform as well on your exams,” Raga says. “A lot of my peers made the mistake of locking themselves in their rooms to study, pulling all-nighters, and not socializing for weeks on end before an exam. Although finals are definitely important—and a large part of your grade—they are not worth losing your sleep, social life, and sanity.”
Above all, save yourself some trouble down the line and start studying now—that way, you can cruise into finals rested and ready to go.
HALEY SHAPLEY IS A FREELANCE WRITER BASED IN SEATTLE AND A GRADUATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA IN PHILADELPHIA.
Find Out More
Click for a great guide to preparing for finals from the University of Nebraska website.
Click for a great set of finals tips from the Academic Advancement center at Ohio University.
Click for 101 ways to prepare for final exams now from Eastfield College's website.
Last-Minute Preparation Advice
Here are some ways students across the country who filled out our survey get in last-minute preparation for finals:
“Get lots of sleep and review just the main points to keep things fresh. Do not cram too much.”
—Colin, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
“Get comfortable, find a spot that helps you be the most productive, be prepared (bring everything you might want—a snack, drink, etc., with you so you won’t be distracted trying to find one).”
—Jillian, Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts
“Try not to worry…worrying just takes up space in your head that should be used to store exam materials! It is difficult, but worth trying.” —Lorie, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti
“Write songs with study terms.”
—Christa, Elmhurst College, Illinois
“Tell someone about what you learned in your studies to synthesize the information and iron out any questions you didn’t know you had until you started talking about it.”
—Grace, University of Denver
“Make flashcards throughout the semester and then go over them over and over again before finals to remember all the material.”
—Niki, Elmhurst College, Illinois
