Image Credits: Jaeyoung Geoffrey Kang, Unsplash
It’s almost finals week, everyone! Congratulations on making it through the semester, but it’s now time to lock-in. If you are feeling burnout already, you should try and prepare a week before your final. Research wants students to be studying all semester in preparation, but who actually has time for that? I certainly don’t. So try and study consistently a week before finals. Consistency is key! Cramming could actually be harming you rather than helping you. Finals are all about understanding the nuance and fundamentals of the semester. Cramming is only testing the theory, it’s not applying what you know. That is the first mistake most students make. I know that it sounds a bit convoluted, but I promise that studying consistently is the best way to get a good grade on your finals!
While preaching consistency, you need to take frequent breaks. I’m not talking about studying for six hours and then getting dinner. Getting dinner does NOT count as taking a break. If you are studying for six hours, you should at least take four 10 minute breaks. You should also be eating and sleeping properly so you can retain the information you are studying. This is a semesterly review so no new information should be added to your study sessions. You cannot learn new information within a week before your exam.
I found a good schedule on Reddit that explains what I mean by consistency, and what you should be doing. I expanded a bit on it down below, but please feel free to check it out!
Day 1 — Refresh Your Memory
Review your notes from earlier in the semester. If you have a textbook, this is the time that I would review chapter notes and summaries. Look at past homework assignments, essays and anything you have worked on this semester. This is where you can expand on some of the information you already know and apply what you have learned.
Day 2 & 3 — Finding The Gaps
Review your notes from Day 1. This is the time to fill in any gaps in memory or knowledge. Go over what you cannot actively explain or expand on. Go over past exams and test questions. See what sticks and what doesn’t. This is to narrow down what you do and don’t remember.
Day 4 & 5 — No New Information
Review notes from the days before. Spend maybe an hour going over past notes. Now, it’s time to buckle down and start focusing on what you need to know. This is not new information but rather information you struggle to explain and understand. I like to read out loud and try to explain theories, thoughts and important ideas to a child. It helps me break down everything into its simplest form, and it keeps it easy to remember!
Day 6 — Rest Day
Spend no more than two hours reviewing everything. This is the time to relax and take it easy. You cannot cram your way through the night and expect good results. This is the day to eat a good breakfast and dinner. Take a nap or watch a movie. Spend time with your friends or family. Seriously, keep the review brief, go to bed before midnight, and stay away from caffeine!
Day 7 — Exam Day
Eat a good breakfast and look over keynotes and definitions. You are ready, I promise!
Now that you know how and what to study, where should you go? I have a couple of recommendations on campus.
Francis Harvey Greene Library
I personally really like studying on the sixth floor of the library. I love the cubicles because it forces me to lock-in for hours at a time. It can also be fun for study groups to go to the first and ground floor.
Sykes
Studying in Sykes can be nice, especially if you are in the Commuter Lounge or on the second floor. There are a variety of lounges, study areas and spaces to choose from.
The Commons Dining Hall
I know a couple of people who have done the Dining Hall Challenge. This is when you spend from breakfast until dinner doing homework, work, studying, etc. The goal is that you are not allowed to leave until you finish whatever it is to be done. Some people find this challenge quite successful, and I will admit that it has done me some good. Plus, you can save meal swipes (if that is what you are looking for)!
Your Dorm
I don’t recommend studying in your dorm because that should be a place where you feel the most relaxed. If this works best for you, I won’t judge. My preference is to leave work and dorm separate since it helps me destress, but do whatever is the best for you. In the dorms, there are often lounge areas that you could be in to study. It varies on the dorm for how open the lounge area is.
I hope that this finals week’s advice has been helpful for you! So, study up and rest well. I know that you will do great. Seriously, you got this!
Elaina Caber is a second-year English major with a minor in Creative Writing and Professional & Technical Writing. EC1051489@wcupa.edu.