Finals Are Around the Corner

Finals are in three weeks, which means you should've started studying yesterday. But if you haven’t, don’t worry. It’s not the end of the world. I have traveled far and wide to find the best study tips for you. As a bonus, I added a few tips on how to get through finals week.

First tip for studying: Attend the review session. Most, if not all, professors will have some sort of review session for you. If you go then you are basically getting everything you’ll need to know for the test. I know of professors who will go through questions that are on the test to help you. So if you attend this review you will know exactly what you need to know to pass.

Second tip for studying: Make sure you’re taking care of your body. During finals week, students have the tendency to stay up later to study, but if you start early and make sure you’re getting a full 8 hours each night then you can keep your body healthy and your brain focused.

Third tip for studying: Create your own study guide – And stick to it. If you split up all the material you must learn into chunks and follow it with breaks in between, then it can actually be more beneficial for you. Plus, it’s a great way to help you keep track of what you’ve studied.

I’m currently in my Senior year, which means I’ve made It through the dreaded finals week 6 times. I’m going to give you the best tips I learned to help me with finals.

1. Exercise is good for the mind. Take at least 15 minutes to half an hour and do some vigorous activity. Biking to and from your classes, a walk around the block, maybe a dance break. Do something to let out energy and help you re-focus your attention. Plus exercise can help relieve the stress you’re feeling. My favorite thing to do was to play Just Dance in my living room. I almost perfected U can’t touch this on the Wii.
2. Choose your study spot carefully. The library is going to be pretty busy during finals week, so it may be nice to venture off and find a new little nook to work in. Your room probably isn’t the best place, with all the familiar object you may get distracted easier. I live off-campus with roommates, so I study I my living room. But when I was living in the residence halls I liked to find a study room to go hide in. When those were occupied I went to the building where all Psychology majors live, McKee Hall. There are dozens of nook and rooms to study in. Check out the academic building on campus to find your spot.
3. Leave your phone in your backpack. I always get distracted with my phone, but the best thing for me was to leave it in my backpack until I was done studying. If you want to listen to music, plug your headphones into the computer so you’re not tempted to pull your phone out to look through it.

There you have it, a few of the best study tips/tips to get you through finals week. Remember that finals aren’t everything. If you miss a question or don’t do as well as you’d like on a test, don’t best yourself up, use it to motivate you to do better next time. Good Luck, Bears!