We’re at that point in the semester when we are stressing about our upcoming papers, projects, and finals.  Don’t start stressing about all the work you will have to do in the next month of school; instead, start thinking about what you can do to make finals more bearable for yourself. Yes, the word “final(s)” can be intimidating, but it is what you do leading up to finals that will make the difference in your life, grades, and health. Grades may be final, but we should not let grades define us as person. So try your best, study the hardest you possibly can, your goal of achieving an amazing grade is possible if you put the time and effort into doing so! Here are some tips on how to prepare for your upcoming finals, whether they are a month or two months away.
Figure out what you are going to do first.
I know this sounds silly to some of you reading this, but it’s important to create a study or project plan for the schoolwork and exams you will have in the upcoming month, don’t leave everything to the last minute. If you do wait, remember the time you put into something is what you will get out of it. First create a study plan and figure out at what times you will study, when your projects and exams are due, so you are not scrabbling to study or finish a project that could have been a lot better if you had worked on it a week ahead of time. Summer is around the corner, but remember to focus on what you want out of the courses you are taking and finish strong. You got this and you can accomplish anything.
Imagine where you want to be at the end of the semester.
Do you want to be barely passing or getting straight A’s?! It is up to you to decide on how well you will do in school. Do not let yourself fall behind, because you may regret it later.. Imagining where you may be a month or years from now can help you to get your life in order to accomplish the things you want to do. Do not let people say your dreams are too big or you will never be a good enough doctor or lawyer. You can be anything or anyone you want to be in this lifetime! Don’t get discouraged by one exam during the semester, because you can make a difference in your grade by giving your all on the next test. You can do this by meeting with your teacher to go over a test or telling them that you are trying in the class. Most of the time, teachers are understanding of their students and will try their best to help you anyway they can if you show you are putting effort into doing well in their class. Imagine where you want to be and you can get there through hard work. Do not stop imagining the possibilities of the person you can be in this world, leave your imprint on anything you do or accomplish! Study hard and you will get that grade you want. Work hard and study even harder.
Never give up.
One exam is not going to define you five years from now. Remember it is a class that you can retake if you want to or decide that major is not for you. During or before finals, we stress so much about the grade we want in the class that we lose focus of learning the material in order to know it for a future job we may have. Remember this: the classes you take during college are the essential tools you will need in your future job or career to build your reputation in the workforce. Finals are overwhelming: even the word itself can bring on anxiety by saying it aloud. Don’t fret, but make sure you are setting goals and meeting them leading up to finals. Goals and reminders are good for keeping us on track as busy college students who may be involved in student activities or have jobs outside school. Never look back, but look forward to what you can do with your degree by studying your hardest to pass or ace a class you are taking. Never, ever give up on your potential; you have the power to make the odds play in your favor and you can overcome any obstacle life throws at you. You got this!
Annoying!
“Why do grades have to be a thing? They won’t matter in the real-world.”
Right now, strive for good grades, even if you are stressed out. Grades may not be the end all of where we will be years from now, but getting a higher education will allow you to seek out many more jobs than those people who decided to never pursue a college degree. Yes, you may end up having to pay off a crap load of student loans after college, but you will look back and say “this degree allowed me to do so much more in the workforce than I ever thought was possible”. A class, or teacher, or the students in class may be annoying, but years from now you will so happy to have a piece of paper that provided you with countless opportunities. Keep moving forward, giving your best in anything you do; whether you accomplish or fail, at least you tried. Trying matters more than giving up.
Learn what study method works best for you.
Do befriend the smartest kid in the class; they may have tests for this class from semesters ago that could help you ace the class. Create a study group. Even if you are not struggling in the class, study groups are good for clarification on the coursework. If the class you are in has a learning assistant, befriend them at the beginning, because they can usually help you with the homework and studying for the exams. Learn what works best for you, so that you can accomplish great things. Learning never ends! Be open minded to people’s perspectives on a topic or finding out about something you did not know prior to taking the class.
Study like there’s no tomorrow.
Space out studying for a class, don’t try to cram the night before. It rarely works for any of us. Do make sure that you’re understanding the material you are learning, not just remembering it for an exam. The material you learn in a class is to help you once you get a real world job. Studying may be hard for some of us to do, but if you find your niche of how to study for class, you can be immensely successful. Study for the class that needs the most boost in. Remember to study for all of your classes, but create a study plan or list to figure out how you will do your best on your upcoming finals. Study, study, study until you drop (don’t do that), study until you make those exams or grades go up, not down into the hard cold ground.
You have the FINAL say, do not let yourself sink as a boat’s anchor would at bay, today’s your day, you got this!