Advice for Finals

Posted by Ryan Sindon in Students

Are you ready for finals? Photo by Humberto Loeza

Finals week is usually the most stressful time of year for most college students. There is, however, light at the end of the tunnel, as students will receive a four-week break at the end of the week. Now to get through that week. In preparation, Jackalope tapped Creative Writing and Literature Department Co-chair Matt Donovan and Academic Advisor Elecia Hadley to share some helpful information for finals. This is the advice we received:

Survive the week. Students are burned out and most of your professors realize that, as Donovan put it,  “Don’t throw in the towel early. Earn the break—it’ll make the holidays that much sweeter.”

Sleep is important. “Don’t cram two days in a row, space your sleep and study,” Hadley says.

Know your class. Each course requires something different of students. Know what is needed to get the grade you want.

Recognize your own study habits. Know what works best for you. If you need to move around every so often, do some push ups or jumping jacks to get some energy out.

Use study groups. They can be really helpful and studying with a group of people can make getting through those late nights a little bit easier.

Prepare for exams. Knowing your professor can help you predict what might be on your final. “From my own college years, I can remember lots of milling around in the dorm hallways, trying to figure out what would the exam might look like, and what would be emphasized,” Donovan says. “Then, there was always lots of pizza. Pizza has to help too, yeah?”

Be aware of your testing area. According to Hadley, “Studying in an environment that resembles your testing area will make you more successful. For example, you will do better if you study in a cold room and your test is in a cold room.”

The end is almost here. Finishing finals is an accomplishment to be proud of each and every semester. Don’t forget to take some private time when finals are over. Relaxing is important and it is what prepares students for the next semester.