As the semester winds down and Thanksgiving break is over, it’s slowly starting to dawn on us that this semester has flown by. It seems like only a few short weeks ago that the semester started and now it’s coming to an end.
While accepting that fact, we also have to come to terms with one major obstacle in our way – final exams.
Just thinking about finals week and all that needs to get done is pretty intimidating but preparing for finals is all about organization and getting in the right state of mind. Whether it’s your first finals week or coming up on your last, dominating it seems a lot easier said than done but here are some helpful tips:
Stay positive. It’s the most important thing you can do. You’ve already come so far this semester so have a little faith in yourself. If you are confident in yourself and what you know, chances are you’ll do a lot better than if you think negatively.
Do not procrastinate. It’s so easy to put off all your final assignments, make-up work and reviewing for the last minute but do it as early as possible. It may seem overwhelming at first but, if you stay on top of everything it’ll save you a lot of stress and many unnecessary overnight cram sessions.
Time management is the key to success. For some people, that comes down to specifically scheduling times for eating, studying and even sleeping. Others find making a to-do list easier. These may not work for everyone but sometimes seeing all you have to do laid out in front of you, makes it that much easier to take on.
Don’t over-caffeinate. Caffeine may seem like a reliable companion for all the sleepless nights but it can put a lot of excess stress on your body so be sure to keep it to a minimum.
Switch up your studying method. Sometimes staring at your textbook by yourself in the library isn’t the best way to go. You can always call on a classmate or friend to review with and who can show you just how much you know already or may need to focus on more.
Switch up subjects. If you study one subject for hours, it can become exhausting. If you switch subjects after some time, it can help you retain more information.
Samantha Fabien can be reached at samantha.fabien@student.shu.edu.
