Finals is the hardest part of college, no one can deny that. It’s a week full of little to no sleep, stress fueled cramming sessions, and an overwhelming desire to have a break. It doesn’t help that for the fall semester it’s right before the holiday season so all you want to do is go out and enjoy the mildly cold Texas weather.
As someone who is also preparing for finals, I decided to put together a bunch of information on how we can get through finals together. Whether this is your first exam season or you’re trying to up your performance, I hope you enjoy these tips!
Study Habits
- Start studying about two weeks in advance of when your essay actually is. You retain more information if you study repeatedly in advance of your exam. If you try to cram even just a couple days before, you lower your chances of retaining the information.
- Take breaks while you study. A five-minute break every hour will give your brain a little rest time, which will help you better retain your material. The brain is a muscle, treat it just the same as any other in your body and recognize that to push through you’re going to have to let it rest.
- Do not go over the material you already know. When studying you should spend very little time as a refresher on what you’re confident in but you should focus almost all of your time on the material you’re not confident in. I know this sounds like “duh,” but trust me a lot of students try to go over everything and waste their time on material they don’t need to be going over.
- Oftentimes our dorms or apartments can be a difficult environment to study in due to all of the readily available distractions. Allow yourself to fully focus and go somewhere quiet and without distractions. The library is a great resource for students. Check out all the spaces available. You can study in peace on the reserved quiet floors or you and classmates can reserve a private study room at the library.
Talk to your professors
- Oftentimes, professors will give you hints throughout the semester about material on their exams. Pay attention and write down what they’re saying, it will help later.
- Communicate with your professor. Ask questions about the exam and what material is on it. Most professors want you to pass their class and want you to succeed. Ask blanket questions such as:
- How many questions are multiple choice?
- What units are we specifically covering?
- What units do you think I should specifically focus on?
- If your professor holds a review session, GO TO IT! This is the best time to go and ask them questions on subjects you’re confused on or to get more insight on what to expect on the exam. You have an open line of communication with the person who wrote your test, take advantage of it.
Self-Care
Now the fun part, self-care! You still have to take care of yourself during midterms Bobcats.
You’re going to do better on your exam if you’re still taking care of yourself. Get plenty of sleep and eat nutritious food. Go on little walks around campus to help get your blood flowing. If self-care is something you struggle with, especially with exam season coming up, here are some apps that can help you out. (Note: These apps are not supported by the IT Assistance Center.)
- Calm: A great app for any student with anxiety or just has busy days. This app has breathing and meditation exercises to help calm you down and make you feel more relaxed. Use this during your study breaks or at the end of the day to feel better. It is available on iOS and Android.
- Aloe Bud: Is a great app for reminding yourself to take care of you. It will send you little nudges through notifications throughout the day reminding you to eat, drink water, get sleep and keep your hygiene. It is available on iOS.
- Shleep: Helps you get better sleep and feel more rested when you wake up through questionnaires. The learning modules can help you achieve better sleep to feel more rested and ready to take on the day. It is available on android and iOS.
- ToDon’t: While this may sound like the opposite of a self-care app, this app helps you procrastinate on bad habits. This is a great tool for students to avoid behaviors that limit you and distract you from studying. A great app to have in your pocket for exam season. It is available on iOS and Android.
We’re all going to get through exam season together, Bobcats! So, use your resources, keep going to class, and always remember to take care of yourself.
Isabel Lauren Loewe is a sophomore majoring in film production and a student employee in the IT Assistance Center.
