Effective study habits for finals

With finals week quickly approaching it can be hard to determine what to study and how.

With projects due and final exams approaching, juggling different study guides can lead to a lot of confusion. Here are some study strategies to help organize subjects and make studying more efficient.

Color coding:

To prevent study guides from melting into a jumbled mess of information, try color coding notes into three categories. Use a red pen for the most important information or phrases, blue for definitions and details, and a plain pencil for random information that may pertain to the subject. By color coding, a study guide it draws the eyes to the most important information and makes that the brain’s priority.

Use a calendar:

When studying it can be easy to lose track of time or be hard to prioritize which subject to study. Use an app like Google calendars to mark when finals are and block out time to study according to the layout. Try blocking out two hours per subject and set a phone alert as a reminder to study.

Attend SI sessions: 

If SI sessions are available, make sure to attend as many as possible. Usually if a class has a TA or offers SI sessions, there are master sessions held in order to prep students for their upcoming final. Go prepared with questions on the subject as well as whatever study materials the class has provided.

Complete practice tests: 

Complete practice tests on each subject to find gaps in knowledge to study for. The easiest way to determine what is known and not known is by taking a practice test. Make a note of what questions were incorrect and create a study guide for that information. Often professors will pull questions from their practice tests for their real exams as well.

Have confidence:

Though it may be hard, approach studying with confidence. When studying if there is failure on the mind, the study session won’t be as efficient because less effort will be put into knowing the material. On the other hand, having the determination to pass the exam and know the material, the study session will feel more productive.

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