Heres a few little tips on how to study for finals without totally hating your life. We've heard a lot of these before, so think of them as reminders since it's been a whole semester since we've taken finals!
Study for 20 then break for 5.
This actually helps a lot even though no one really listens to it. My brain gets sick of going over the same thing over and over again for a long period of time and it usually results in me not really absorbing the information I need to. Taking breaks helps you go away from the material then go back to it so you remember it better. If 20 minutes seems too short of a study time, maybe try 30.
Eat brain food.
Eating good foods helps get your brain going and prepares you for cramming information into it. I've heard things like nuts and trail mix are very good to eat before a big test or even while you're studying. Not sure why but I bet it's easy to find out through the world's best friend, Google.
Chew gum while studying and during the exam.
It's thought that if you chew gum while studying then chew it during the exam your brain will recognize the taste and things will come back to you. Again, not sure how true this is but I had a teacher that would always give us mints during our test and she told us while we study, eating the same mints might help us remember more.
Change the subject you're studying after a while.
Try studying one subject for about an hour then switch subjects and keep repeating the cycle. Sometimes, coming back to something after not looking at it for a while helps you remember it later.
Study in a place that is similar to where you will be taking the exam.
Doing this will make your brain feel like you're in the same place you were studying in and some things might come back to you. A familiar place will work the same way that a familiar taste or sent will and bring some things back to your memory.
Get lots of sleep.
Your brain doesn't work as well when you're sleep deprived, so make sure you're getting lots of sleep. For some people, they can stay up all night and the material will stick. For me, I can't do that at all. Sleep is more important to me than cramming information into my head that I know won't stick.
Don't stress out too much.
Stressing out too much is going to cause you to be unable to hold the information you're studying in your head. Stressing out will probably cause you to do worse than you would have done if you were relaxed and calm. Finals are a big deal but if you pay attention in class and have a decent grade it's not going to do that much to your grade. Don't just give up entirely but make sure you stay calm for finals week.
