As we get closer to the end of the semester it is important to always keep finals week in the back of our mind. It will creep up and it is best to be ready for it than to scramble when the time comes. Starting now you should be organizing all of your classwork, being prepared for studying, coming up with a plan and so on.
Today I will be telling you about how I prepare for finals week, wayyyy earlier than normal. First thing that I like to do is find all my piles of uncategorized papers and put them into the correct files for each of my classes. Then I ensure that I have all the assignments in the file for the entire semester up until this point. After that I will periodically begin to review the content from the beginning of the semester and afterwards.
For my plan, I like to set aside specific times to go over content solely for finals. An important thing to note here is that you should know the format of your final exam. Is it cumulative? Is it a regular exam? How is it going to be given out? All of these are really important when it comes to planning out your finals week. If your final is cumulative then that means that it will have questions on all of the content from your entire semester and that you will probably need to work extra hard on studying and refreshing all of that knowledge. If it is just a regular exam then it will probably be on the last couple of units that you were taught. Some classes even do a final exam essay/paper.
Once you figure out how your exam will be, which is usually found in your syllabus, then you will be able to start preparing. Make a list of each unit/chapter that you went over thus far and then break it down into the different topics for that specific unit. This will help you to picture your overall course load and then you will be able to find your trouble areas. If you see a topic that you don’t quite remember then it is best to highlight that topic to ensure that you go over it in better detail when it comes time to study for your finals!
Remembering that you have multiple finals that you will have to take for finals week is key in understanding your study plan. If you try to cram the night before then you probably won’t do too well considering that 1) you can’t cram an entire semester in one night and 2) you have multiple heavy weighted tests within one week, you can’t cram for them all! The best plan that has ever worked for me is to begin my finals week studying way in advance, mainly before thanksgiving break which happens to be soon.
Once I have my plan and an idea of the content on each exam for each class that I am in, then I can begin to assign certain topics to certain study days. For example: I will study unit one of biology on Tuesday and then unit two biology on Thursday and in between those days I will review chemistry or any other class that I have.
It’s all about finding what works for you Monarchs! If this is your first semester at college and you want to see what will work best for you, try a couple of methods out and see which one gives you the highest exam score. Then after your first finals week then the next semester you will be able to have a slight idea as to what works best for you and what doesn’t. Studying isn’t a one-size-fits-all kind of plan, you have to tailor it to you and find the best method that will help you succeed the most! This may take some trial and error but that is why it is best to have many methods going at once so you get a feel for what is the best plan for you and the outcome you are looking for!
Lastly, it is perfectly okay to use different aspects of different study skills to make the megastudy plan that is best for you. You may find that it is best to prepare early by actually studying, or prepare early by just gathering your materials. Also, it may be a good idea to stay organized throughout the semester to help when it comes time for exam prep, all of these are great things that in turn will help you to do your best and achieve your goals! Reign On, Monarchs!
