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College students are accustomed to stress. With all the essays, projects, exams and quizzes we have to prepare for, it’s not uncommon to hear students getting little sleep and feeling run down from everything they have to prepare for. These feelings of anxiety are doubled the last couple weeks before finals. There are some that have the general anxiety, but are prepared for the tests, and then there’s those who are stressed to the maximum and are worried they will not pass.
According to College Fashion, now is the appropriate time to begin really putting in the work for finals. Don’t procrastinate anymore, get into the game, and it’ll take a load off when exams start. Get all the notes you need for your courses, double check them with friends, and ask the professor any final questions you might have. Most professors have study guides, so make sure to grab those as well, and study the topics as best you can. Don’t strain yourself by studying for hours on end or you’ll be worn down and you will not remember the information you studied as clearly. Also studying in bursts, with appropriate breaks in between, yields the best results.
There’s an app called Quizlet that has thousands of subjects for students to study. You can create an account, fill in terms for the course you need to study for and use their flashcards, matching games and fill in the blanks to help you prepare for your exams. They also have practice exams that you can print out and fill in, or do right on the app for an instant grade. It’s an amazing way to study, because you don’t feel the strain normal studying causes since you’re playing games.
Sleep is also an important part of retaining information. It may be tempting or necessary in your head to stay up until the sun comes out cramming information into your brain, but it will do more damage than good. Your brain needs to rest, so don’t skimp on sleep. Eight hours is the healthy amount, and you should try your best to reach it. Go to bed every night at the same time as well, and wake up at the same time too. It will put your brain into a schedule and help you feel more refreshed.
Your body and brain need large amounts of water and food, especially when you first wake up. Two glasses of water is what it takes to wake your cranium, so make sure to get those in before your morning coffee or latte. Study your flashcards while you are sipping, or put in half of a flavor packet in and drink the glass trying to find out what it really tastes like (because it sure doesn’t taste like orange…).
Procrastination is the death of grades, so don’t wait until the night before to finally take a look at your notes. Take a pack of flashcards or your Quizlet app and look them over while you are heading to your next class, try those study games during your lunch break or talk to a fellow classmate about your notes for five minutes. Cramming the night before will help a few things stick, but the grade won’t be as good as it could have been if you’d prepared more.
Google has a slew of websites and hacks for studying, and taking a moment to look those over can help as well. Don’t be afraid to try a few different approaches to find which works best for you. Everyone learns and studies differently, and you will know which way works best when by researching these techniques.
The week before finals is always ominous, but if you take the time to prepare yourself, finals will be a breeze. Preparation is your friend, and by knowing what you have to do to get ready, you take a huge load away from your week. You can relax more, enjoy your last week of the semester, and feel confident going into your finals. You’ll thank yourself later for putting in the proper work.
