Giving advice on final exams is difficult. There is no short cut, tip, or strategy that can help you save a semester. If you didn't work hard during the semester, your final exams probably won't save you.
For the most part, I have found that final exams either don't change your final grades all that much or they reflect a trend that has been developing throughout the semester. Let me explain. Most of the time, the grade you have going into the exam will not change that much as a result of the final. However, some students follow a trajectory during the semester, and the final exam reflects this trend. In my first semester, I started with a low D in American Government. I finished with a B-, but I was working on an upward trend from the first exam to the final.
That preface aside, what kind of advice would I give for studying for final exams?
1. Don't cram -- prepare weeks in advance. Finals aren't a surprise, so start preparing early. Two or three days isn't enough.
2. Know exactly which material will be covered on the exam. The syllabus and professor will help you in this manner.
3. Try to find some balance. Final exams are stressful, so try to plan some relaxation time ... a movie, meal, museum, sporting event. Get your mind off of finals for a while.
4. No all-nighters
5. Study alone. Group sessions turn into talking to your friends and not studying.
6. Take copious notes and rely on those notes for cues about what the final exam will cover.
7. What has the professor stressed over the semester or in the last part of the term? Focus upon these points.
8. Eat and sleep.
9. Show up for the exam right before it begins. I found that hanging out in the hallways with students who were still studying for the exam often confused me. They would be asking each other questions, and my stress level escalated. I got in the classroom, got me the test, and away I went.
10. When you get the blue book or the exam, right down important concepts that you think will be on the exam. Make sure to hit those points when you write your essay. Sometimes when I read the essay question, I panicked and told myself I didn't know the answer. Making an outline helps to overcome this problem.
That's all for now
P.S. What would you like to know about final exams?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I am at a school where they schedule more than one exam a day. Are there any special tips for how to deal with two exams in one day?
I find small group studying to be quite useful - but it requires the discipline to break it up if it degenerates. I love having questioned poked at me, and I love being able to turn to someone when I feel stuck.
Jonathan
Post a Comment