Finals week can be the most stressful time for students in the United States, no matter what school year. Whether you're a high school, college or grad school student, we have your back with 20 solid study skills.
20 Study Strategies for Finals Week
Prepare for your exams with these study tips, which can help you conquer your finals.- Create your own study guide.
- Ask questions.
- Attend the review session.
- Start early.
- Organize a group study session.
- Study the stuff not on the study guide.
- Take breaks.
- Stay well-rested.
- Create a study schedule - and follow it.
- Prioritize your study time.
- Study for the style of exam.
- Quiz yourself.
- Meet with your professor or TA.
- Reorganize your notes.
- Pace yourself.
- Teach classmates.
- Revolve your focus.
- Color code it.
- Visualize.
- Make it fun.
While many teachers provide a study guide, creating your own can help you understand the material better. Outlining the important information you need to learn can be helpful, both in creation and to refer to during your studies.
Your teachers, professors, and TA's are there to help! Ask them questions regarding the material and the exam so that you're prepared when test time arrives.
For students in graduate programs, consider this your time to become a subject matter expert.
In-person or virtually, review sessions offer vital information you want to know about, including exam format, important topics, and key concepts.
Know your final exam schedule. If you start ahead of schedule, you'll never be cramming the night before an exam. You'll almost always perform better in doing so!
It can be helpful to study in groups – sometimes. Evaluate whether or not studying with others will be beneficial to the subject as well as your learning process.
Study guides aren't always comprehensive – they're just suggestions of the main concepts to learn. Use your study guide for its intended purpose: a guide. Be sure to fill in the blanks with related information.
You won't be able to memorize or comprehend all the material at once. Balance is key - ensure that you reward yourself with study break times to recharge and relax.
There's a lot to be said about a good night's sleep. Make sure you're well-rested so that you can be fully focused during your exams.
Splitting the material into chunks you can actually achieve can be very beneficial. That way, you can keep track of what you've accomplished instead of looking at the big picture and getting overwhelmed.
Some exams will be more difficult than others. Some you may find easier. Some may be worth more of your grade than others. Make sure to evaluate all your exams to consider and determine the involved factors so you can study accordingly.
An effective study technique is to practice the exam as it will be delivered. If it's multiple-choice, you'll need to know definitions and concepts. For essay exams, focus on your understanding of all the concepts presented, with examples in mind.
If you think about and create actual exam questions, you will likely become more familiar with what you need to study. Draft potential exam questions and quiz yourself so that you can set expectations of what you need to focus on.
Think flash cards! Use index cards to create your own flash-card game of sorts. Ask your roommate or family member to help you out.
Oftentimes, meeting with an instructor can give you helpful hints for what to study and ways to prepare for the exam. Consider sending him/her an email for the best way to connect is for them.
Evaluate and reorganize your notes into what's important, outlining concepts, formulas, dates, and definitions so they're easy to understand.
Make sure you stay focused and don't burn yourself out. A great way to do so is to pace yourself. Learning and retention won't work well if you're studying for extended periods of time.
In the long term, it's best to study in short increments. Take a break, reset, and study some more for final exam week.
Learning by teaching is a method that really works! If you work with a study buddy and explain concepts to one another, you're re-learning the material all over again. It's a great way to reinforce what you've learned and help someone in the meantime! Plan ahead to avoid pulling an all-nighter cram session.
Switching up your subjects is a helpful way to learn everything for your exams while preventing burnout on one topic. Make sure to switch it up before your eyes glaze over! That way, you can keep studying for longer periods of time while maintaining your focus.
Create a system that allows you to color code material that's going to be on the exam by what's most important, less important, etc. This will help you focus on the most pertinent information and prioritize the material.
If you're a visual learner, it can help to create mind maps or diagrams to visualize how the concepts you're learning relate to one another. This is especially beneficial when learning concepts that build upon the understanding of one another, like in science courses.
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Shawna Newman
Managing Editor, Contributing Writer
Shawna Newman is the Managing Editor and a writer at Fastweb. She has over 10 years of experience in higher education. Her direct work with college admissions teams, financial aid officers, college deans, ...