With finals being around the corner, everyone has slowly started the process of reviewing their class material in a final push to earn the grades they want. It can be difficult to stay motivated and on track during these last few weeks of the semester. By having high-quality study habits, you can get through these exams with flying colors. Here are a few of my favorites!
Start early
Our brain is a muscle that needs repetition in order to understand new ideas and concepts. By starting to study a few weeks prior to finals, you will be able to give yourself the proper amount of time to fully absorb the topics of the class. You will have time to repeat the information you struggle with, and therefore remember it better. Also, this allows you to create a plan that allows an equal amount of studying per class, ensuring you are equally prepared for all of your exams. Since there will be no need to cram, you will feel less stressed when reviewing, allowing your brain to comprehend the information better.
Either study early in the morning or mid afternoon
As humans, we have different windows of the day in which we are the most efficient. We are all familiar with the drowsiness we sometimes feel when we wake up or towards the middle of the day. Studying during optimal time periods will greatly improve your grades and academic lifestyle. By studying from 8 to 10 in the morning, or 2 to 4 in the afternoon, you are allowing your brain to process the information when you are the most alert, therefore you will retain more information.
Make a practice test/quiz
Creating a practice test/quiz allows you to evaluate your studying up to that point in time. You can evaluate what areas you are still struggling with and which areas you have mastered. This process also ensures that you are able to recall information instead of simply recognizing it. A multiple-choice test will see if you are able to recognize the correct option whereas an open-ended prompt will see if you are able to recall information without any context clues. The closer you can get to recalling information, the better understanding you have of the concepts. By utilizing both multiple-choice practice quizzes and open-ended practice quizzes, you will have a much more well-rounded understanding of the material.
Overall, finals season is one of the most difficult of the year, and it can be easy to get caught up in stress and worry. With these tips, you should be able to alleviate some of these stressors and ace your finals in the process! Good luck and happy studying!