5 Simple Tips to get Through Your Final Exams

It’s your final week, and you’re worried about how you can survive the final weeks and ace the exams, right?  Cheer up!  For your convenience, we’ve come up with these easy tips to will help get you through finals week, hopefully with outstanding grades. 

 

Prepare Yourself Mentally and Physically

Preparing yourself mentally and physically may seem insignificant, but they are essential. Most students don’t think about their mental or physical situation, but if you are having trouble studying or you are tired, these can be significant impediments to a successful week.  Prepare yourself for finals week with these simple steps.

• Follow a sleeping schedule so you can get up well-rested on your exam days. It is important to get at least six to eight hours of sleep each day.  Give yourself some extra time before you have to be anywhere to help you mentally prepare.
• Try not to stress over your upcoming exams.  You have prepared to the best of your ability at this point.  
• If possible, exercise each morning, even if only for 10 or 15 minutes.  This helps to keep yourself calm and relaxed and focused when you need to be. 
• Eat healthy food and avoid snacks. 
• Drink plenty of water. 

 

Gather Your Best Resources

Once you’re done making a healthy schedule for your physical and mental health routines, you can begin to gather the resources that you will need to study for your exams and finals. These can include your notes, textbooks, guides, flashcards, or digital resources. 

Think about the kind of material that works best for you. If you think textbooks, notes, and flashcards have proven to be helpful in past exams, then use them. At the same time, if you learn best with digital resources, then arrange to have a laptop or tablet available and make sure you are able to keep them charged at your study location. 

• While learning from textbooks, use a highlighter and highlight all essential points. 
• Instead of spending hours making DIY flashcards, use mobile apps like Tinycards, Quizlet, StudyBlue, and so on for flashcards. 
• Use online platforms like YouTube or mobile learning applications if helpful.
• You might want to schedule time with other classmates for a group study session as well.

 

Schedule Everything

Allot times for studying for your finals in each of your classes/subjects. If you know you are weak in a  specific subject, allow yourself to spend more time on that one than for others.

• For best results, do not spend more than two hours in continuous study without a break. 
• Schedule small breaks of 10 to 15 minutes into your schedule to refresh your mind.
• Organize everything in your study area so that you can easily find the resources you need. 

 

Study Smart not Hard!

There are things you can do to help make studying more efficient and effective.

• If there are specific things that you continue to get muddled, set up subject-specific flashcards or post-it notes in your study area and keep them within view.  Seeing these things routinely throughout your study times can help you to remember them.
• Instead of studying alone, go with the group study option. So you can share your ideas, test your knowledge or even get a new perspective on the topic.
• Use digital resources as you need to supplement what you have found in your text books, particularly if you are having difficulty with a particular item.  Learning about a topic through videos and graphics can help you remember the content.
• Studies show that you are more apt to remember things the more you are actively participating in the process.  Listening to a lecture, watching a video or viewing an image are passive.  Writing your notes or comments, creating your own drawing or graphic are more active.

 

Remember, the numbers on your transcript don’t represent your intelligence. Your grades do not define who you are.  Study and prepare to the best of your ability and then do your best.  Make sure to take care of yourself through the process. 

To all our area students, good luck with your finals!

If you consider living off-campus during your college years, you can view available student housing options and 3D Virtual Tours at OneontaStudents.com or call us at 607-434-5438. You can also contact us through our website at https://oneontastudents.com/contact-us/.