Get Ready for Finals: Preparing & Studying

Prioritize, Organize, and Manage Your Time and Materials

1. Figure out what your present situation is in each class.
2. Estimate what catch-up work and new work needs to be done between now and the final exams.  Also, estimate how much time will be needed to review for each exam.
3. Learn all you can about what to expect on your final exam.
4. Rank your courses according to importance, and decide on a realistic final-grade goal for each course.
5. Estimate how many study hours are available to you and divide them amount your courses according to your priorities.
6. Adjust your grade-goals, if necessary, to fit the realities of how much study time is available.

Especially if you’ve had trouble organizing yourself in the past, it’s important to create a detailed plan. If you need help creating this, let me know! As you prepare for your exams, it’s important to pull together relevant study materials: quiz/exam study guides you’ve been given in the past, quizzes/exams you’ve taken, and your notes/readings that will be tested on the final exam.

Find a Place to Study

If you haven’t already noticed, study spaces are becoming more and more crowded. It’s important to find a good environment that works with your personality and study preferences. Take a look at the blog post about some of the great study spaces on- and off-campus.

Visit Faculty or the Learning Centers

If you’re confused about your notes, the readings, or your past tests or quizzes, schedule time to meet with your professors during their office hours or visit the Learning Centers! Bring old tests and quizzes to review questions you missed and get tips for studying. If you’re not sure what to ask or say to your professor, read the previous post about tips on how to talk to your professor. Now is also a great time to seek campus resources that can support you, academically. Here are some:

• Communication Center
• English Language Learner Services
• Learning Strategies Instruction
• P.A.S.S. (Peer Assisted Study Sessions)
• Science & Math Learning Center
• University Writing Center

Attend Study Review Sessions

If your professor offers a review session, go! A review session is a time set aside to answer questions about the material that will be on the final exam. These can be held during class or at a special time outside of class. Just be careful not to use these as crutches. They’re not supposed to replace studying. Here’s what you should do at a review session to get the most out of this opportunity:

1. Review the material before the review session.  Some students skip this step, and attend the review session with the approach that attending will be the start of their studying. There are two problems with this approach. First, if you don’t look over the notes and readings first, the information won’t be fresh in your mind during the review session, and you might be confused by the information you hear there. Second, by looking over the material ahead of time, you’ll know if there are concepts you do not understand.
2. Come with prepared with questions. Many students don’t come with questions or concepts they’re confused about, and assume that others will ask helpful questions that will benefit everyone. There’s no guarantee that someone will ask the questions that you need the answers to for preparing.  Unfortunately, if you don’t ask questions, there’s no guarantee that you’ll get the information you need.
3. Ask the right questions. Many students come to the exam session with hopes of receiving some information about what specifically will be on the test. They ask questions like, “Is Chapter 12 going to be on the test?” or “What do we have to know about Chapter 5?” Although it would be nice to know what’s going to be on test, this isn’t the point of a review session. Instead, ask questions like, “I was really confused by Chapter 8. Could you please explain what the author means when she talks about…?”

On the Day of the Final

• If your exam is early in the morning, set multiple alarms to avoid over-sleeping.
• Eat a meal and drink water.
• Don’t overdo it with the caffeine.
• Know what to bring with you to the final. Do you need a blue book? A Scantron? A pencil? A pen? Your laptop? A calculator?
• Are food and drinks allowed in the classroom where your final will be? Sometimes, the rules are different for exam days than other days.
• Even if you don’t usually wear a watch, take one with you to the final. It’s unlikely you will be able to look at your cell phone to check the time during the final.

Get Ready for Finals: Stress Relief

Remember to Take Care of Yourself.

In addition to the Five Tips to Help You Get Through the End of the Semester post a few weeks ago, one of the most important ways to reduce stress during this very busy time is to take care of yourself. Many students end up getting sick this time of year because they have neglected their own wellness.

Try to get enough sleep. 

Some people can function well on three hours of sleep a night. Most cannot. You’ll do much better during exams if your mental state is good, and sleep is essential for this. Don’t overdo it on the caffeine, either! If you feel like you can’t manage your time well enough to be able to get the amount of sleep you’d like, check out the post on time management.

Try your best to eat well. 

Your body needs to be nourished by real food—fruits, vegetables, protein, good carbs, and just plain water. Energy bars and caffeinated drinks are not enough. Try to sit down with friends for at least one real meal a day. Want dinner served to you but don't want to leave campus? Don’t forget about using your 3 punches at Madison Grill. Good conversation and a change of scenery go a long way toward relieving the stress of sitting at a computer, the library, or working in a lab. And with all the awesome dining options on campus, take advantage of a delicious study break!

Get some exercise. 

Vigorous physical activity can help you burn off your stress by giving you something else to focus on and relieving tension in your muscles. Endorphins are real: they make you feel better! Now is not the time to let up on your regular UREC workout. Or, if you’re not a UREC regular, consider heading there for a little stress relief and study break. There are also plenty of fun group fitness classes, opportunities for pick-up basketball games and so much more if the typical treadmill workout isn’t for you.

Build in healthy study breaks. 

De-stress and take a study break at Late Night Breakfast (it's Disney's "Frozen" themed) on Thursday, December 4 from 10p to midnight is another great option for a study break - who doesn't love free food!? Or, if laughter is the best medicine for your stress relief, check out the last Funny Freakin’ Friday on Friday, December 5 at 8p in TDU. Last but not least, Grafton movie this week is "Frozen" if that's more your style.