Final exams signify two things. First, it means staying up until 3 a.m. running on nothing but caffeine and the fear of all of the work from the past 3 months amounting to nothing. Secondly and most importantly, it means we made it through the seemingly endless semester and have now earned a month of relaxation.
While the juniors and seniors are clearly the seasoned professionals at test-taking, students from all grades are voicing their thoughts, worries, tips, and tricks for the upcoming week of hell.
“I have three finals this semester, and I’m not really nervous for any of them,” Resort Management freshman Joe Houle said. “I’m expecting them to go pretty well. I’m prepared, and as long as there are no surprises, all of the studying I’ve done will pay off.”
If you’re debating what study tools you should take advantage of, some students utilize the note card strategy. Memorizing 200 definitions seems like a daunting task, but going over a few of them each day up until your exam will be extremely beneficial.
“The finals I’m most nervous for are biology and psychology,” Marketing freshman Brooke Combs said. “Psych is hard to study for because it’s all about thinking outside the box, and biology has a lot of definitions to remember. I’m making a lot of note cards. I’m still nervous, but just ready for the next semester already.”
As tempting as it may be, one student advises to avoid putting things off until the last second. You aren’t going to remember every bit of information you tried to cram into your head the night before the test.
“Don’t procrastinate, and even if the professor gives you a study guide it’s a good idea to make your own,” Professional Golf Management sophomore Jacob Connell said. “Studying in groups can also help, as well as listening to music as long as it doesn’t become distracting.”
Some kinesthetic-learning students focus on their physical readiness along with their mental preparations.
“Eat good foods, and make sure you find time to exercise, even if it’s just 15 minutes of cardio,” Elementary Education junior Taylor Caslow said. “What I like to do is bring my notebook with me and go over the material while I’m on the treadmill.”
It may seem like you should take advantage of every second of study time, but taking breaks is also necessary.
“Don’t forget to leave time for just hanging out,” Caslow said. “I found out the hard way that over-studying doesn’t do you any good.”
Lastly, one of the most important tips to remember is planning ahead.
“I start studying about two weeks in advance,” Pre-Law freshman and Honors student Chris Okoye said. “I do two hours of studying per class, but try to only study for two classes a day. When it comes to your studying environment, any quiet place will suffice.”