By Emilie Chau
Finals begin tomorrow and many of you are probably stressed out. Listed below are some tips you can remember when studying for or while taking your finals.
Study with friends. Organize a study party with your friends to motivate you to study. Studying with friends who have the same classes as you also gives you the opportunity to ask your friends any questions you have on the material.
Practice problems. Especially in math and science, knowing how and when to use a formula is significantly more important than simply memorizing a formula. Make use of online problems, textbook questions or old test and homework problems you have from earlier in the year.
Don’t cram. Despite how tempting it is to stay up until 3 am studying for your math final, cramming may actually do more harm than good. Researchers at UCLA report that sacrificing sleep for studying is actually counterproductive and students are more likely to have academic problems the following day. Students also generally learn better on a regular studying schedule so don’t study more than you usually do the day before a test.
Relax. Every hour of study should be matched with an hour of relaxation. Make sure to sleep early and don’t stress out too much; you probably know more than you think you do. Go ahead and binge watch your favorite TV show on Netflix or go out to eat with friends. Remember to eat well in the morning so you don’t feel hungry during your final. But remember you should still review a little bit, especially material you have been struggling with throughout the semester.
Get to school early. Get to class a few minutes early so you can settle down and relax before taking your test. Don’t try to last minute study as it will make you more anxious.
Don’t take too long on a problem. If you’re stuck on a problem for the past couple of minutes, move on. Answer the problems you know first to ensure you get those correct. You don’t want to lose points on a question you know the answer to! After you answer the easier problems, go back to the harder ones and try to work your way through it. If you’re still stuck, try doing the problem again from the very beginning.
With these tips, I hope you are now feeling a lot more confident about taking your finals this week. Good luck! ♦
The Legend Online 