Tests may be stressful, but nothing compares to the dread of finals. With finals, students are forced to review and retain a whole semester’s worth of material, and study for several classes at once. Staying organized and on task, however, can make all the difference for your studying experience. 

1. Organize your game plan 

By organizing a plan of when you will study for each final, you are giving yourself a better grasp of the workload ahead. This will help to organize your thoughts and relieve stress.

2. Study in advance

To further enhance your knowledge on a topic, it is important to prepare in advance, rather than the night before the test. By studying in advance, your confidence on the subject will increase. Looking over your study guides throughout the week or two weeks before finals will better prepare yourself for the upcoming tests.

3. Make flashcards/Quizlets 

Writing out information helps the brain to recall concepts and memorize previous lessons, which is why creating flashcards is a great way to study for finals. Flashcards are easy to study, and help you know what concepts you are strong at and what you still need to work on. If for some reason you don’t have time to make flashcards, create a quizlet, which allows you to study whenever you have extra time.

4. Talk it out

It’s one thing to know information, but talking it out and teaching it to someone enhances what you know. If you can successfully talk out loud about all of the concepts from a class to someone, you are more likely to feel confident about what you know leading to a better score on your final.

5. Rest up and take breaks

Granted, it is extremely important to work hard and study for your finals, however is there such thing as too much studying? Taking short breaks in between study sessions helps to relieve stress and give your brain a break. Getting fresh air or going on a walk is a great way to step away from your studying for a bit.

6. Organize for each class

Being organized can reduce your stress levels throughout finals. It can also help you keep track of which finals you have next, so you can make sure you study for the right class. Start out by cleaning out your binder and then using folders you can put in your desk or just in your room, so you do not throw anything away you may need later on.

7. Manage your time

Staying on top time of your time management is a very important aspect throughout finals week. If you are trying to do to many things at once you will get too overwhelmed. Procrastinating your school work by watching Netflix, hanging with friends, or going to get food, come we all know we are guilty, but in the end it will not help. Try putting down your phone for an hour, study, and then take a 5 to 10 minute break or a 30-minute nap (because sleep is very important), and then continue. Repeating this process will help you focus more on studying and after it is all over you will feel better.

8. Set goals

Set goals for yourself so you can get more done. Start with small goals like finishing a few assignments. After you do this, you will feel good and want to do it again. Just think: finishing all these small goals will get you to your long-term goal, summer!

9. Take it one final at a time

This ties in with not trying to do too much at once and managing your time. Take it day by day, study for the finals that are the closest and then once you feel confident with one subject, move onto the next. This will help you keep up a study pace and not have as much stress.

10. Reward yourself

After working hard and achieving your goals, do not be afraid to treat yourself. It does not even have to be when finals are over. Giving yourself a little prize at the end of each day will motivate you to get your work done for the following days. In the end, when finals are over, you will feel good about the hard work you put in and the grade you receive because of it.

Given these tips, hopefully your studying experience will be more tolerable this year when studying for finals!