One of the two most dreaded times of the school year is here again- finals week. If you are a freshman, this upcoming week is one you have heard stories about, the one that people sleep in the library for days and desperately attempt to do anything to pass their exams. No matter what, both finals weeks will be horrible; sadly, it is almost inevitable. However, there are ways to make it a little less awful and a little easier to not have nightmares about exams during winter break. Special thanks to Cassandra Damouni and Sarah Bawardi for these tips about how they conquered their exams!
1. Coffee
You can never have too much coffee, especially during exam week. There is nothing like a good caffeine boost before getting down to actually study. Even if you don't particularly like coffee, there are endless different kinds of creamers you can use and there aren't very many things sugar cannot make taste better. Coffee really will become your best friend.
2. Notecards/Quizlet
Neither of these are new, but that doesn't mean they aren't one of the best ways to study for anything. You can take notecards anywhere because of their size and as long as you have a smartphone of some kind, Quizlet is always with you. Both are perfect for when you have a minute to study in the middle of anything or to have your friends quiz you.
3. Studying with others
Studying with groups of people can be extremely helpful; you may have questions they can answer for you and vice versa. Saying things out loud has been proven to help you learn better, and having other people in your class with you can help you feel a little more at ease about the exam you are all going to take.
4. Start early
Exams cover the whole semester of material, so starting a few weeks early wouldn't hurt. The earlier you start, the smaller sections you can try to master and understand verse trying to remember material from September and December all at the same time. Decide what chapters or sections of notes you can do little by little every night, so the last weekend you can begin to out all your knowledge together instead or cramming late at night if there is a study guide you have absolutely no idea how to answer.
5. Give yourself a break
Studying is good, obviously, but if you sit with your head in your book and notes for hours on end, you may be doing more harm than good. Your brain cannot retain every piece of information for multiple subjects at once, so making sure to give yourself a break every now and then will help you remember the material better and ensure that you remember it long-term.
