Finals are just around the corner and there is so much to cram in! Instead of pulling your hair out, here are some study tips to help prepare you for finals week.
We all know that studying can be exceptionally daunting and overwhelming, but we want you to ace your exams.
- Don’t wait until the last minute. Space out your study sessions. Like a pie, it’s hard to eat in one sitting. Make sure to stay organized and manage your time wisely. If you work during the week, then carve out an hour during your lunch break to review notecards and review your notes. After work, you are extremely exhausted, but after the chores and kids are in bed (if you’ve got them), carve out another hour to review your notes and test yourself.
- Study Groups. Reach out to your classmates and compare and review notes. They might know something that you don’t and vice versa. It is always great to get additional encouragement from your peers. Make sure that you’re in a setting that allows you to be productive with your studying. This is not a girl’s night out or a party, that comes after you take your finals. Organize a study group, review your notes with each other, make photocopies, and test each other. This is a great way to discuss items that will be on your exam and practice questions and answers with each other.
- Relax & Focus. Finals can be extremely stressful. Make sure that you take some time for yourself too. Stress will make it difficult to retain information. Take your notecards to the gym and review them on the bicycle! Workout and get that stress out, while still studying. Or go for a long walk, while reviewing notes, or schedule yourself a massage. By relieving your stress, it allows you to relax and regain focus.
- Don’t give up! After days of studying, your eyes are probably bloodshot, you are extremely tired, and you might feel like throwing your book against the wall or out the window. Don’t lose sight of your goals. Remember the reasons why you decided to go back to school. Whether it be because people always told you that you couldn’t, PROVE them wrong. Whether it be to provide a better life for you and your children, or to advance your career, remember that all your hard work WILL pay off.
- Ask for help. If you have a question, send your professor an email. If you need emotional support, lean on your family to give you the support. You are not alone in this process. There are other classmates or friends that might be feeling the same way.
Finals are a stressful time. We want to provide you all the tools for you to succeed and ace your finals!
Good luck and do not forget to apply the following tips to your studying throughout the week.
