By: Lauren Ondreyko
Final exams are among the most challenging aspects of the college experience. There is so much to learn, organize, and remember as you head into finals. Forming good study habits can reduce stress and improve grades.
To ensure that you are prepared for your exams, you may want to consider adding some of the following study tips to your collection.
The Learning Center is an amazing resource for students to utilize on campus. The Learning Center provides services such as academic coaches, workshops, and writing specialists to help students excel in their classes.
“We also have academic coaching for academic success skills that include time management, procrastination, test anxiety and learning styles.” said Learning Center coordinator, Lindsay Masters.
Studying for finals should be happening little by little all semester. Finals tend to be a cumulative test of all the material that you have learned throughout the course. Therefore, it is important to regularly review all notes to date.
Masters suggests, “Review your lecture notes within 24 hours after that class.”
It is important to keep all of your tasks organized so that you do not feel overwhelmed. There are two easy ways to do this.
First, create a calendar. Masters suggests using the Google Calendar that is linked to your MyDaemen account. This is a free service for all Daemen students.
The second step is to create a to-do list. There is a free app called Todoist that is available on all Apple and Android devices. Masters suggests doing your difficult tasks first. This way you have energy and focus to finish the hard assignments.
Creating a calendar and to-do list are important to help you plan ahead. One bad study habit that students tend to have is not planning for the unexpected. Another bad study habit related to poor planning is cramming.
“You may think you have two weeks to study for an exam or write a paper, but something comes up. That could be anything from you’re sick, family emergency, or just unproductive days,” Masters said.
To help combat this problem, students should give themselves some wiggle room when it comes to deadlines. They should always give themselves at least two days; even if nothing gets done, the assignment can still be completed on time.
It is also important to connect with your teacher and other students in your class. Meet with your teachers during their office hours or organize a socially distanced study group.
Dalton Matthews, an academic coach at Daemen, has created a list of study tips that he provides to all of the students that he tutors.
His favorite tip is to find an area to study that is free of distractions. It is also helpful to experiment with different types of lighting and temperatures to figure out what works best for you.
Which tips are you going to try out this semester? Good luck on your finals, Wildcats!