Finals How To

With finals rapidly approaching, students may be starting to wonder where to study, what is the best way to go about preparing for finals and how they can take advantage of their time and use it wisely. Here is an easy student guide to finals for effective studying skills in preparation for finals week.

Step 1: Location

Picking a study location is a crucial key part when it comes to studying for finals. Not only do you need to know what places are open to study at, but also you have to pick a study spot that will best suit you and your comfort zone. While many prefer studying in quiet and remote places with little distraction, remember that crawling out of those study cocoons that we often immerse ourselves in can be a breath of fresh air and help galvanize your brain into realizing that there is an end to the madness that is finals week. Pick a location that will allow you to study effectively, but also will provide you peace of mind. The Ingram Library will be open 24/7 during finals week for all your studying needs.

Step 2: Time management

Time management is one aspect that is often overlooked when it comes to finals week. Before you realize it, finals are here and you start to stress over what you have or have not learned in your classes. In order to learn all the information that your teacher has been talking about, organize a schedule so that you are studying at certain times of the day for a period of two to three hours at a time before taking a break. Studying for over that amount of time can lead to a burnout and often-ineffective learning habits. Doing this instead of cramming the night before will help you to learn the material and keep you on a good sleeping schedule. In the coming weeks, organize the difficulty of your finals and allow a certain allotment of time for your more difficult finals and a little less for those easy finals by making a detailed schedule of the exact hours you plan to be studying.

Step 3: Staying healthy

Your health is the final aspect that we all seem to lose a grip on when it comes to finals. Late night studying leads to late night runs to grab Jr. Bacon Cheeseburgers or a dive thru run at Taco Bell and very limited amounts of sleep. Neither which benefit a healthy functioning brain in the morning. So this finals week, be organized so you have time to eat healthy, drink lots of water and get decent amounts of sleep at night so you wake up well rested to begin studying again.

Remember that finals week is stressful, but by following these suggestions and techniques you will have a healthy mind and healthy attitude going into your finals.

Erin

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