The idea of finals season can seem kind of daunting – how can one exam make up half of your grade in a course? Here are some study tips and strategies I learned during first year that can hopefully help you.
Take a “diagnostic” exam
Most professors will post a couple practice exams on OWL leading up to the final. Before I really start studying, I like to use one of those exams as a diagnostic to see where I am in the course. After I take that first practice exam, I have a pretty clear idea of the work ahead of me and more importantly, which topics I need to cover again (make sure to note these down somewhere). Either way, I always feel better because I have a game plan set out now.
Plan, plan, plan
Go over your courses and make a “to-do” list for each one. Then take these tasks and schedule them out over finals week. While every class is different, here is a basic outline of the same general steps I’ll take to approaching each final exam.
Make notes and summarize
A hugeway to reduce finals stress is to make notes right after every chapter – a great form of active learning. I truly think that 80% of finals preparation is done throughout the semester. Many make the mistake of not keeping up in class and cramming by reading the textbook the night before – a form of passive learning that is not nearly as effective as making your own notes. Ensure that you’ve read exactly what topics are on the exam and that you have condensed notes for everything you need to know.
Read everything
Go back to your notes from the very beginning and read them to get an in-depth understanding of every concept. If you can’t grasp a topic, look up online videos, email your professor, or ask a friend in the class for clarification early on. It’s difficult to memorize something you don’t understand. This step can be tedious and it’s easy to eventually start skimming, so I find it’s helpful to take breaks between chapters.
Redo homework questions
When doing homework problems or past exams always circle difficult questions so you can redo them later. A common mistake is getting questions wrong but thinking “I would have gotten it right on the exam” – and then promptly forgetting about it. I find it helpful to revisit old midterms or question sets when prepping for finals.
Self-test
Whether it’s with flash cards or rewriting definitions/formulas over and over, have some way to ensure that you have memorized your notes thoroughly.
Do a practice exam
If your Prof was generous enough to provide more than one practice exam, this is where you can really test yourself to see if your studying was effective.
Extra tips
Take breaks
I can’t emphasize how important breaks are. I’ve never been the person who can work for over an hour without a break. Studying isn’t necessarily the most enjoyable activity, but that shouldn’t mean that you hate every single minute of it. Take a walk, make a snack, or relax with a friend for a bit. It’s important to still keep a reasonable balance in your life, even during a stressful time.
Where to study
Lawson and Stevenson Building – the entire building is almost always empty and there are small study areas all throughout.
Social Science Reading Room – this gets pretty full sometimes, but I still find it to be less busy than Weldon or Taylor. It’s clean, bright, and quiet.
Third-floor of the UCC – there are nice cubicles here that are away from the noisiness on the ground floor
Upper-levels of the Social Science Building – super quiet and you have a beautiful view of campus in front of you.
Keep a Healthy Perspective
When a huge exam is approaching it’s natural to feel stressed – it seems as if it’s so important that you ace this final because you need to keep your 80+ average. But it’s key to keep a grounded perspective and realize how so many stressful periods you have experienced in the past seem so small now. I think that’s how I feel once finals season has passed.
There’s always room to improve in your path to learning so don’t feel discouraged if you feel like you didn’t perform your best. There are so many resources on campus to help you out in your academic journey.