Preparing for Finals
Preparing for Finals | Finals Game Plan | Breaking Down Large Projects | Studying for Exams
Finals week can be the most stressful time for a student. There are a number of ways to improve your performance during finals week.
Here are a few to try out:
- The earlier you start preparing, the better!
- Create a successful finals game plan using this template (.doc) (.pdf) or your own calendar or planner.
- Break large projects down into smaller, more manageable pieces.
- Review previous exams and learn from your mistakes and test taking errors.
- This Error Analysis for Past Exams (pdf) is a helpful tool for self-reflection.
- Apply strategies for effective learning, such as:
- Space out your studying over time
- Switch between subjects while you study
- Practice bringing information to mind
- Quiz and test yourself
- Study with a partner or study group
- Ask for help
- Take breaks and get enough sleep
- Keep test anxiety in a “sweet spot” where it can enhance focus without becoming debilitating. If test anxiety is interfering with your performance or your quality of life, try some of these suggestions to cope with your test anxiety.
- Prepare well in advance and avoid cramming.
- Remind yourself of past successes and how you got here.
- Get a good night's sleep for several days before the exam.
- Practice relaxation and breathing exercises.
Finals Game Plan
Do you get overwhelmed thinking about finals week?
Creating a realistic study schedule and following it will make the final two weeks of your semester less stressful and more manageable. By splitting exam material into smaller chunks and by breaking larger projects (e.g. final papers) down into bite-size pieces, it will be easier to keep track of what is ahead of you and what you have accomplished. Including ALL finals (exams, papers and projects) in one plan will clarify how much work you are facing, how early you should start and where you have to set priorities
1. Materials and tools you need to get started?
When sitting down to create a plan for finals preparation, have in front of you:- A calendar (printed out or electronically)
- Different colored markers (if using a paper calendar)
- Each class syllabus
- All course material
2. What do you include in your Game Plan besides study and writing sessions?
Before you can dedicate certain times in your schedule to study or writing sessions you need to prepare your calendar by adding:- Exam times
- Due dates for papers, projects or take-home exams
- All class times (before reading period)
- Any meetings (with professors, TAs, counseling, coaching, etc.)
- Review sessions (you might get information on exam format and key concepts to focus on)
- sessions (quizzing and teaching each other are some of the most effective study strategies)
Once you have this scaffolding built, you can start adding your study and writing sessions (25-90 minutes per session). Work backwards starting at your final due date.
Study sessions for an exam. Go through the course material that is relevant for the exam and define small chunks of material that you can study in one session. For example, you can split by topics, book chapters, lectures, problem sets, vocabulary sets, etc.
Writing/work sessions for a paper or project. Set multiple milestones (e.g. research, outline, first draft, revision and final paper) or break your writing down into different chapters, sections or sub-sections.
To finalize your Finals Game Plan add:
- Wake-up and bed times
- Meal times (try to eat healthy and include in your diet)
- Breaks (avoid burn-out by applying the pomodoro technique)
- Time to exercise (increase your energy level, brain function and mental state)
- Self-rewards (after accomplishing a study session allow yourself a piece of chocolate, sip of coffee, fresh air, etc.)
3. What do you consider when scheduling work sessions?
- Keep your energy level in mind (are you a morning bird or night owl?)
- Study in the right order by setting priorities
- Consider your current class standing. Is there a class you should be putting more effort in?
- Is there a final that will be more difficult than others? Give yourself more time to study for your toughest classes. This will also give you more time to ask your professor questions.
- Study material in this order:
- 1. definitely on the final
- 2. probably on the final
- 3. might be on the final
- You can choose if you want to combine study sessions and writing sessions in one day or dedicate one day to studying and another day to writing.
- To prevent burnout and encourage recall and memory, consider switching up your subjects. For example, physics in the morning, computer science in the afternoon, and English in the evening.
- Make sure to schedule personal recap sessions to repeat the material you have already studied.
4. Last but not least!
Start early. If you start ahead of due dates, you can do your best work and get the most out of your classes. Be realistic about how long certain tasks will take. Starting early will allow you to plan in buffer times and much needed breaks.
Ask for help. Your professors and TA’s are there to help! Ask them questions regarding the material as soon as you get stuck. It can be a time saver to receive a quick answer instead of struggling for hours.
Stay well-rested. Make sure you are well-rested so that you can be fully focused during your exams. Getting enough sleep (about 8 hours per night) the weeks leading up to your finals is also important as you will be able to concentrate better and retain information longer
Breaking down large projects into manageable tasks
Do you procrastinate? Do large projects paralyze you, and you don’t even know where to start? Do you want to feel las though you are making progress towards achieving your goals?
First, break down large projects into smaller, more manageable tasks. It is easier to work on a short task (30-90 minutes) than on a large project (weeks/months). The following steps will help you break your large project (e.g. paper, lab report, presentation, etc.) into manageable pieces.
Step 1: Define milestones by breaking down a large project into monthly, weekly, or daily subprojects.
Step 2: Define the tasks that need to be completed for each milestone. Use specific verbs (e.g., write 300 words, read chapter 3, proofread draft) to describe your tasks (avoid vague verbs: “do’ or “work on”).
Step 3: Put small tasks into logical order of completion (What should you do first, second, third, etc.?).
Step 4: Add the tasks to your calendar starting at the project due date (or ideally even 2 days before that) and work your way backwards. Overestimate by one third how long each task will take to ensure that you have built-in buffer time. Ideally, work in sessions between 25 and 90 minutes long. If your list entails steps that might take longer than 90 minutes, try to break them down further.
Studying for Exams
Finals week can be the most stressful time for a student. Here are ways to improve your performance during final exams.
1. Create a game plan
- The earlieryou start preparing, the better.
- Develop a realistic study schedule defining what, when, and where you intend to study.
- Don’t forget to schedule sleep, meals, exercise, and down time.
- Keep your energy level in mind -are you an early bird or night owl?
- Divide study content into smaller, manageable pieces.
2. Space learning out over time
- Review information multiple times over an extended time.
- Whenever possible, do not cram. Studies show that cramming can lead to higher stress and reduced success.
3. Choose HOW to study.
- Use study aids for memorizing information, flash cards (Quizlet) or a mnemonic device.
- Consider the following study aids for understanding information:
- Reorganize your notes.
- Rewrite charts or principles in your own words.
- Color code your material.
- Ask yourself questions.
- Create concept maps or diagrams.
4. Review your last test
- How did you study?
- Did you prepare effectively?
- Did you misread the questions?
- For more guidance on how to analyze what went wrong, download the hand-out Error Analysis: Self-reflection.
5. Quiz and test yourself repeatedly
- Take practice exams provided by your professor, use questions at the end of a book chapter, or create an exam yourself based on old exams. Review your answers and focus on filling your knowledge gaps.
- Think like a professor.Try to grasp your professor's objectives and pay attention to concepts the professor focused on in class or in homework, quizzes, problem sets, and other assignments.
- Predict exam questions.Start by going through your lecture notes, problem sets, headings and sub-headings of readings. Also, formulate questions that ask how various concepts relate to each other.
6. Form a study group or work with a study partner.
- Explain difficult material to a study partner or in study groups.
- Talk through the facts and formulas.
- Reading periods can be isolating. Working together can be helpful.
7. Address your test anxiety
Keep test anxiety in a “sweet spot” where it can enhance focus without it becoming debilitating. If test anxiety is interfering with your performance or your quality of life, try some of these suggestions to cope with your test anxiety.
- Prepare well in advance and avoid cramming.
- Remind yourself of past successes and how you got there.
- Get a good night's sleep for several days before the exam.
- Practice relaxation and breathing exercises.
8. Ask for help.
- Your professors and Learning Assistants are there to help.
- Ask them questions regarding the material as soon as you get stuck.
- It can be a time saver to receive a quick answer instead of struggling for hours.
- Use the Baldwin Center for Learning and Teaching as support.
9. Get enough sleep.
- Make sure you are well-rested so that you can be fully focused during your exams.
- Get enough sleep. Strive for 8 hours per night.
10. Take breaks
- Ensure that you reward learning with break times to recharge and relax.
- Apply the Pomodoro technique. Use a timer to break down your study sessions into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length and separated by short 5 minutes breaks. After four short Pomodoros (~25 min. each) take a longer break.
- Breaking Down Large Projects (PDF)
- Studying for Exams (PDF)