April 2016 - Studying Tips and Tricks

How does one prepare for the upcoming finals and projects at the end of the semester?

Although it is common practice for us to spend our final exam week amped up on caffeine and Monster energy drinks, I've come to learn that it isn't necessarily the best way to prepare for final exams. As much as students take it for granted, a good night's sleep is just as important as your information processing! 

As for myself, I think that preparing for final exams occurs all throughout the semester. 

For starters, one key component in figuring out your final exam is learning your professor's testing style. Do they use multiple choice? Short answer? How short is the short answer? How do they word their test questions? Do you take tests online? Understanding and growing adapt to their testing style will help prepare you for all of your testing throughout the semester. That's why I consider the first exam in a class to be equally as important as the final one.

Once you have their testing style down, studying will come easier. For example, during my first government exam study session this semester, I had no idea where to begin. However, my teacher gave me a few testing tools to choose from. I could read the chapters of the book and process the information, study my notes in class, or use Norton Study Space, which is a test quizzing website that helps students study the material that they read over from the Norton company's government book. I learned that the Study Space quizzes helped me answer the questions more than any other technique, and so I have been using that as my study tool all throughout the semester with great success on my exams. I also learned that in my psychology class, most of the test questions we encounter can be found through quizlet, so I am able to look up each chapter we are reading in psychology and find quizlet flash cards that match that chapter, and that will likely be test questions.

Studying for finals should probably begin the week before final exams, for the best possible time efficiency. It is important to space out your study time, and take it one class at a time if at all possible. Once I have registered all of the information I can take in, then I move on to the next subject, but if I move on too quickly, all of the information will jumble together in my head. Honestly, if you have enough time between final exams, studying for one exam at a time may also be a helpful practice.

Lastly, there are of course physical needs that need to be met in order to ensure success on exams. Making sure you eat well, get good sleep, and keep from distract yourself with outside influences during this time is of upmost importance! No boyfriend drama, or late night hang out sessions, just enveloping yourself in a productive and intellectual mental state will benefit your academic successes. 

All in all, finals week is an extremely stressful time for students! If you're able to squeeze in a massage session, a relaxing bath, or maybe an afternoon nap to help keep you relaxed and focus, I would suggest it! Otherwise, best of luck to all students as we wrap up this semester, and keep your eyes set on the goals at hand!