Finals week can be a tense time for all students I know it is for me. So, knowing how to appropriately prepare for finals is the crucial to avoiding stress and acing every single one of your exams. Of course, all students would like to relax by casually watching anime or even listen to a podcast before finals.
1. Say NO to cramming Study in intervals. Studying in 20-50-minute increments and giving yourself 5-10 minutes in between is more advantageous than cramming. Spreading learning over time typically helps long-term retention more than a short period.
2. Alternate study spots: Shake up your final’s routine. Spending all night in the public library can be draining. According to the New York Times, simply swapping the room where a person studies enhances retention. In an experiment, psychologists found that college students who studied a list of 40 vocabulary words in two separate rooms one windowless and cluttered, the other modern, with a view on a courtyard did far better on a test than students who studied the words twice, in the same room. Supposedly, the brain makes delicate connections between what it is studying and the environment sensations it has at the time. Try varying your study spots between the library, a study room, and a quiet coffee house.
3. Time management Cramming causes anxiety, which reduces your ability to retain information. By creating a stable study plan and timetable, you will be able to study each subject matter in its entirety and eventually give a boost to your test performance.
4. DECREASE distractions Research shows that while many teens prefer to study while listening to music, texting friends, or watching television, they are less expected to keep information that way. If you must listen to music, stick to instrumental music and contemplate downloading these study tools to keep you concentrated!
