Overused meme is overused.
However, the meaning stands true. That part of the semester has finally arrived. Professors are handing out last minute projects and papers like candy on Halloween and you're hoping you just make it out alive without drowning in a pool of deadlines.
If you're finding yourself too anxious to know where to begin with your finals studying, here are some tips on how to survive the next few weeks:
Getting Started: Guiding Your Studying
Often times, getting started is the hardest aspect of studying. Where do you even begin?
I suggest starting with your past midterms. Chances are, your final is going to be written by the same person who wrote your midterms. Studying the midterms is not only helpful in helping you review past material for cumulative finals, but helps you re-familiarize yourself with the set-up of how your professor writes and grades tests. Does the test have a lot of short answer questions, or fewer essay questions? Do you get more points for a right answer or for showing your work? Even if your final is a common time, you can study what kind of mistakes you made and how to learn from them.
If you're still a little lost at where to go after looking at your midterms, try taking a look at your professor's slides if they post them online. These are already organized for you in that they cover the information your professor found the most important and challenging. If the slides cover examples, step through the examples yourself instead of just looking over them to make sure you can solve everything on your own.
That being said, make sure the slides are not your only source of studying material. More often than not, your class is supposed to cover more material than your professor can cover. If this is the case, chances are that you're responsible to know more than what you will find on the slides. Make sure you at least touch on everything you're supposed to go over!
Also, if you're taking a final that allows a cheat sheet, creating your sheet is a great way to guide your studying. Don't just borrow a copy of your friend's sheet- make your own, so that you're stepping through the material as you're making the sheet. When you do this, you just might find that you don't even need to look at your sheet during the actual test!
Making It Through Your Studying
First off: Get. Off. The. Internet. I know this is easier said than done. However, nothing is going to get done so long as you have that Facebook tab open, calling your name and begging you to click on it. I promise Facebook will still be there after finals. Reddit, Tumblr, and Pinterest are not going anywhere.
If you're looking at slides your professor has posted on Scholar, download all of them, unplug the Ethernet chord, and turn off your wireless. Toss your phone to the other side of the room where you'll be too lazy to grab it. You don't have to become a recluse until the end of finals, but the last thing you want is to walk out of the final regretting how much time you spent looking at pictures of cats when you could have been looking over that one topic you didn't study that takes up that entire third page of the test.
Now that I'm done being your mom, I'm going to step into the shoes of your professor for a bit: if you haven't read the textbook all semester, it's too late to read it now. Maybe you skimmed the book at one point, maybe you never even bothered to take the saran wrap off the textbook after you bought it. Now is not the time to start reading from page one. However, your textbook is not completely useless. Skimming is still incredibly useful, especially through sections you might have had trouble with over the semester. If your textbook has any review questions at the end of the chapter, now would be a good time to go over them. Make note of what you're having trouble with and go back to it after you've skimmed the whole book so you can focus on the sections you need the most help with.
Lastly, office hours are your friend. Most (if not all) professors hold some sort of office hours during Reading Day and during finals. They're not just sitting in their office for the fun of it. Use this time wisely, and ask all of the stupid questions you were too embarrassed to ask during class or go over homework questions you got wrong and still don't understand. The professors aren't out to fail you- but they can only help you if you let them.
Crossing the Finish Line
Alright, so you've gone through the bulk of your studying. Hopefully you didn't leave this off to the last minute, and you still have some time before you need to head off to the testing room. What now?
Well first off, it's a good idea to know when and where you need to go. The last thing you need is the panic of realizing that your test started a half hour ago. Hopefully you already had your schedule figured out to make sure none of them conflicted so you could file for a new testing time. If not, I would suggest looking your test times and places as soon as possible.
Once that is figured out, and this might sound contrary to what you're thinking, give yourself some time to relax before the test. Again, this is assuming your test doesn't start in twenty minutes. Give your mind a chance to unwind and soak in all the information you just crammed in. You can finally turn the internet on and check your Facebook. Treat yourself to a nice meal. Although your nerves might catch back up with you as soon as you walk into the testing room, at least your headache will be a little smaller.
Finally, make sure you show up to the room with plenty of time. I cannot tell you how many times I have been saved from comparing cheat sheets with classmates and adding something to my sheet five minutes before the final starts. If cheat sheets are not allowed, a quick review over some topic you had trouble with can be helpful. More importantly, showing up a little early gives you a chance to take a deep breath. Remember to breathe!
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So hopefully by using these tips as a guide, you'll get through your final weeks here without collapsing. Just in time to rush off to your summer job or internship!
Good luck with finals, everyone. And work smart.
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