April is already halfway over, and it is a pretty safe bet that the word 'final' has been mentioned a few times in your classes over the last few days. Every professor is starting to prepare you for their final exam by posting study guides that are a hundred pages long, reminding you that their final is cumulative (or not - if you are lucky), and, ultimately, leaving you more stressed walking out of class than when you walked into class. If you find yourself is this overwhelming state and you need a coffee break (with a side of motivation) you have come to the right place! Continue reading to find that little bit of inspiration you are needing to study!
1. Remember... you care.
If you are stressing out about finals it means that you care. You care about your final grade, about doing well in the class, and ending the year on a strong note. Sometimes just taking a step back and reminding yourself that what you are doing has value to you can be motivating. So, step back, take a few deep breaths, and remember... you care.
2. Strive for progress, not perfection.
Where are all the other perfectionists out there!? It can be a blessing and a curse. What matters is that you are learning something, not that your study notes are perfect (although I can easily make a case for why they should be). If you are spending hours organizing and "studying" but not learning anything from it, you need to try finding a new way to study. You want to be making progress.
3. Go to office hours.
There is nothing that kills your motivation more than not understanding something you need to for an exam. If you are obsessing over topic that you really don't get and no matter how much your try to teach yourself it, nothing is sticking then there is a very simple solution: go to office hours. Every professor offers them and until there is an exam coming up students don't take advantage of them. Chances are you are going to actually understand the topic and now that you have mastered one topic you will a new burst of motivation to study the other topics in the course.
4. Don't study because you need to. Study because knowledge is power.
We often take learning for granted. Don't study because you need to, study because knowledge is power. Studying today is getting you one step closer to your ultimate goal. What you do today can and will have an impact on your life later.
5. Create a study plan (and stick to it).
Everybody learns in different ways. Create a study plan that you know will work for you and stick to it. Keep track of your progress. When you see yourself sticking to your plan accomplishing the things that you say you are going to it can be extremely motivating. You may evening find yourself getting ahead and studying additional topics or getting to go over topics that were hard for you.
