Final Exam Week - You Can Do It!
Final exams are that dreaded time in every student's existence where we are forced to try and recall everything we've learned during the entire semester for a single graded test. No pressure, right? Right.
So in order to lessen the pressure a bit, I have some tips on how to make it your best finals week yet.
The week before:
- Ask questions about anything that you're unsure of. (Professors are here to help!)
- Make sure you know what to expect for your final from what type of test it will be to what will be covered.
- Don't count back, count forward! (Instead of saying "My final is Thursday, so I'll study Sunday", think "I got my study material today and my final is in two weeks. So if I study x amount each day I'll be able to cover it all.")
- Clear time to study!
The Night Before
- Lose all distractions.
- Get some sleep!
- Review over anything you aren't sure of, but not all of the material.
- Only study with a group if it makes sense to.
Morning of
- Dress comfortably (A little comfort goes a long way at keeping stress and anxiety down!)
- Don't study the morning of. It will make you over-think and stress more than needed. If you know it, you know it!
- Get to the room early. It gives you time to breathe and you have all the time you need rather than running in at the last moment.
- Take a deep breath and relax. Chances are you know more than you think you do!
The Test
- Pace yourself! You have 2 hours for a reason. No rush!
- Don't panic if there is something you don't know.
- Keep it easy for the professor with neat handwriting and be clear (professors tend to be better about grading when it isn't a huge fight to figure out what you've written).
Good luck. You're just a few tough study sessions away from a well-deserved break!