Study Tips for Finals

I hate to say it, but it’s that time of year again. The season of hot cocoa, holiday lights and…finals?! Yep, Christmas may be three weeks away, but we all still have finals. This week is my last week of classes, so for this Blogmas installment, I am going to give you some of my best study tips for finals!

Some of these you have probably already heard, but they work. Others are things that I have figured out and have came up with myself. Or, they are study tips that I have not seen before. Let’s get into it!

1. Start Early.

The biggest tip I can give, and the one should definitely follow, is to start as early as you can. You don’t have to wake up early, but you need to start a couple days before you would for a regular test. Especially if you have a lot of finals or your finals are cumulative. The more time you give yourself, the less stressed you will be. You can also avoid those crazy all nighters.

2. Take Breaks.

I don’t know if it is just me, but I can only study so long before I get bored and/or distracted. The Pomodoro method of 25 minutes of work then 5 minutes of break is great for studying. It’s also important to take breaks so that you can eat and sleep. Those things lead to my next tip…

3. Eat Regularly and Get Some Sleep.

This is something that you should always do, but finals seem to make eating and sleeping a lot harder than normal. There are so many tests coming up and assignments due. It can be hard to stay on top of your basic needs, but you have to. Nothing’s worse than spending a full night studying only to crash and miss the exam. You don’t want that. Also, eating good food can help give you the energy you need to stay alert for your study sessions.

4. Use the Right MEthods.

Odds are, your math study techniques won’t work for your history class, so mix it up. Having different methods for studying not only keeps it interesting, but it can make it easier to study the different materials and subjects you need to know.

Pro Tip: Using a mnemonic device to remember facts can really help. There’s the famous King Phillip Came For Good Spaghetti, used for learning the groups of the different kingdoms in bio. You can look online for ideas or come up with your own. Do what works best for you!

5.Be smart with TEchnology.

We are blessed to have mini computers at our sides all day, and while they can be a productivity suck, they can help. There are so many flash card apps out there that you can choose from. You can use email apps to communicate with professors. There’s even Google Drive for those dreaded group projects. Use your phone and computer to help you study, and it will make your life so much easier.

 

So, did I miss anything? What are your study tips for finals? Leave ’em in a comment below!

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Thanks for reading!