Preparing for Finals

While not everyone has equal access to practice tests, using flashcards or being quizzed is also highly effective. Simulate testing conditions to sharpen your focus and performance. You will master the material and get your mind “in shape” for test day. Too many students put off studying for finals until the last moment, toiling in all-night cram sessions. Research shows that breaking up your study sessions into smaller chunks over time enhances performance.

• Some of the best advice for preparing for math exams comes from our readers.
• Scheduling class meetings, homework, assignments, projects, and study sessions is crucial to staying organized.
• For example, if you have fourteen days before the exam, and you want to start studying, then chop the semester into thirteen equal parts and study a section on each day.
• By starting with the toughest material first, you have time to ask your teacher questions or get help from our tutors.
• Start with what will definitely be on the the test, then what will probably be on the test, and finally what might be on the test.

Work slowly and review each problem at least ten times–that’s the kind of wisdom readers share. Find out what you’re allowed to bring to the exam, and make sure you don’t leave anything essential at home. Many teachers will let you bring a calculator to math or science exams.

All sleep is good sleep; however, slow-wave non-REM sleep, in particular, is vital when it comes to recollecting facts. From all-nighters to “panic mode,” procrastination seems to be a universal college experience. The harsh reality is that when students procrastinate, worse scores ensue. Perhaps the most overlooked aspect of doing well on your exams is nutrition and exercise. Eat enough fruit and vegetables, fiber, healthy snacks such as nuts and yogurt, drink plenty of water, and avoid too much heavy, processed food and sugar.

Create a Study Schedule

The FNU Academic Advising team can help you with strategies to make the most out your college education. From ESL classes to courses that focus on studying techniques, FNU wants to help you achieve academic success. Talk to classmates who clearly master the material and see if they’d be interested in helping you study. For many people, teaching is a great way to solidify their knowledge, so this would be a win-win situation for both. Don’t be afraid to ask classmates or friends who have already succeeded in the class to help you study for finals. Taking study breaks is a much more effective study habit than trying to work for a few hours straight.

• The best strategy is to break up your studies into shorter, focused sessions with regular breaks.
• If you are a student at a Shorelight partner university, talk to your Student Service Advisor about our special academic support services for international students.
• Is your professor offering you a review session for the upcoming exam?
• It is extremely important to maintain good health in order to do your best in school.
• This will give you some perspective on how much time you should designate studying for each class.

Music puts people in a better, more stable emotional environment that enables the mind to be far more responsive to knowledge than it would be in other circumstances. According to researchers at Duke University, it’s also believed that music facilitates the retention of information because it helps reduce anxiety. While it may be tempting to pull an all-nighter and cram everything in at the last minute, it’s a bad idea.

Finding a Study Partner

According to the Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve principle, we forget 70% of what we have learned within 24 hours. However, the critical thing here is not to be too hard on yourself, do this step with a sense of constructive criticism. Scrutinizing yourself relentlessly about mistakes is not a fruitful activity – as long as you learn from previous mistakes, you are on the path to becoming a better student (and person) overall. If you’re looking for the perfect coffee shop study spot, check out our list of close to Loma classic coffee shops.

Read and Review—Early and Often

Pulling all-night study sessions can easily result in low grades because being tired will significantly affect your attention and comprehension. If you would like to learn more about FNU events and student life, contact one of our academic counselors. Think of an exam as a performance and exam prep as including rehearsal or a scrimmage—authentic practice. If you approached preparing for exams as you do a play, musical performance, athletic or forensic competition or similar event, how would your preparation be different? In academic learning, most people emphasize ‘taking in’ information, and under-emphasize practicing demonstrating their knowledge by applying it. We’ve previously discussed 11 techniques to improve your study habits, but studying for final exams requires special attention.

By starting with the toughest stuff first, you have time to ask your teacher questions or get help from our tutors. “Within 12 to 24 hours of the test, it’s time to stop studying,” says Gruenwald. Georgetown professor and study expert Cal Newport recommends creating a detailed action-based plan that abandons “studying” as the verb of choice. Focus on the most important parts of your class notes by condensing the material and underlining or highlighting key words and concepts. Try reformatting them into charts, diagrams, mind maps, or outlines to create visuals that can help you make sense of complex concepts.

If your course features teaching assistants or tutors, take advantage of their availability to ask questions. Approach them before or after class, or visit them during office hours. Numerous studies conducted by sleep experts have researched the effects of sleep on the brain, particularly memory. The research reveals that sleep enhances the mind’s capacity to concentrate and performs an active role in fortifying memories, making it simpler to reclaim knowledge.

For best results, you should make several copies of each old exam and keep taking the tests until you score perfectly on each one.

Take the Right Approach

It can be tempting to start with what we feel most comfortable with because, well, it’s comfortable and makes us feel good! But, you don’t want to cram the stuff you don’t know as well. Remember spacing out our practice will help those unfamiliar topics stick. If you’re studying at home, have your mom or dad quiz you on the information you’ve already studied. Students tend to remember the information they’ve been quizzed on better than the information they simply review. We generally recommend staying off your phone while studying (distractions!), but here’s permission to make a few more swipes.

Put a twist on studying

Take care of problems you can handle right away; for example, if you find that your budget can no longer accommodate tuition, you may want to look into the financial aid opportunities offered by FNU. When you have difficult moments, take a walk or breathe deeply. Take a catnap to refresh or relax with a cup of tea and a good book. Remember that feeling calm and centered will allow you to bring out your best for the final exam.

Some people like the complete silence of a library setting, while others like the stimulation of a busy café. Some students prefer sitting at their desks to study, others like a study spot outside in the sun. Wherever you go make sure it is a place where you can focus and avoid distractions.

This document lays out a comprehensive strategic approach to final exam preparation. Because it is based upon fundamental principles of learning, much of this guidance is applicable to final papers, projects, and other culminating course assessments. Take a look at the syllabus of each course you are taking and assess how you are doing overall in that course.

“Take a five-minute break every hour to let your body produce more fuel for your studying. Take a walk and stretch. Taking breaks will actually improve your studying.” “Find out what the test is going to cover,” says Ted Dorsey, author of Tutor Ted’s Guide to the SAT. “Ask what the format is—multiple choice, essay, or both. Once you begin studying, bring any questions you have to your teachers. Most teachers will be happy to help you.” Collect your old exams from the year (or semester) and make a photocopy of each one.

Make sure you know what percentage each paper or final exam is worth to your grade. This will give you some perspective on how much time you should designate studying for each class. Final exams are not always deal-breaker elements of a course; in the month-end close fact, some instructors prefer to assign the same weight to all tests so that students do not feel overwhelmed towards the end. If your professor or teacher assistant is offering a pre-test review session before finals week, make sure to attend.