How to Study for Finals
Identify your goals., Make a study plan., Begin studying well in advance., Gather your materials., Choose a study location., Go to office hours., Organize a study group.
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Identify your goals.
Before you begin studying, it is important to identify what your goals are.
Set a target grade for each exam and think about what you will need to do to achieve that grade.
Be realistic; consider how well you've been doing all year, how good your understanding of the material is and window of time you have to study.
Don't set your goals too low either.
Try to push yourself and set your mind to achieving your full potential. -
Step 2: Make a study plan.
Making an effective and realistic study plan is a vital component of doing well in your finals.
By planning out your study, you can ensure that you will have all the necessary materials covered by the time the exams roll around, thus minimizing stress and maximizing productivity.
Here are some things you will need to consider:
Create a time chart of your current activities.
Factor in classes, work, time spent with family and friends, etc.
This will allow you to see how much free time you have available for study.
Develop a study schedule that works with your timetable.
Use time between classes, commute time and any other free time to slot in some extra study.
Keep in mind that an hour of study every day will be more productive than a 5-hour block once a week.
Determine your study goals.
You shouldn't just write vague guidelines like "study biology"
-- your study plan needs to be specific.
Break down your study material into specific topics and tasks and fill these into your study schedule.
Give 20-minute slots to small, bite-size chunks of information and commit to the idea that you will know that information inside out by the end of those 20 minutes.
Stick to your schedule.
A study schedule is no good if you don't stick to it.
That's why it needs to be realistic.
Factor in breaks and potential distraction when planning, so there will be no excuses when the time comes.
If it helps, think of the study schedule like a job.
You have no option but to do it.
Consider that studying for a certain subject might take longer than you thought, so put in some extra time into your schedule. , This may seem like a bit of a no-brainer, but the earlier you start studying, the more prepared you'll be come exam time.
Starting early ensures that you will have time to cover all the necessary material, time to do practice exams and maybe even time to do some extra reading, which will give you an edge on the day.
By beginning to study well in advance, you will also feel less stressed out and anxious and have more confidence in yourself.
Ideally, you should make studying part of your weekly routine throughout the school year, not just coming up to exams.
You should prepare for classes by doing the required readings, along with some extra reading around the topic under discussion.
Engage with your professors, ask questions about anything you don't understand and take extensive notes, as these will be an invaluable study tool later.
After class, review the material and rewrite or type out the rough notes you took during class.
This will help you to retain the information much better when it comes to exam time.
Do not procrastinate.
Everybody is guilty of procrastination at some point, but coming up to finals you should make a serious effort to avoid it.
View your study schedule as being set in stone.
By actually doing your study when you say you're going to do it, you minimize the risk of cramming the week or night before the exam.
Tempting as it may be to put off study until the last possible moment, cramming so close to the exams is an ineffective way to study.
Cramming lowers the chances of you actually retaining any information and dramatically increases stress levels.
So do not procrastinate! , Gather and organize all of the materials and resources necessary for you to ace your exams.
Get together your class notes, old tests and assignments, class handouts, past exam papers and relevant textbooks.
Use folders, highlighters and sticky notes to organize the material and make important information easily accessible.
Read through your class notes and underline any key words, formulas, themes and concepts.
Your class notes are a valuable study resource as they are more succinct than textbooks and will give you some clue as to what the professor is most likely to emphasize in the exam.
Ask to borrow a classmates notes to compare with your own if you feel there are gaps.
Find some different textbooks from the ones you normally use.
An alternative textbook may provide extra information that will make you stand out from the rest of the class, or it might phrase a definition in a way that enables you to fully understand it for the first time. , Choosing the right location is an important aspect of effective study.
The ideal study location will differ from person to person.
Some people might prefer to work at home, where they can grab a cup of coffee or a snack whenever they feel like it.
Others prefer to work in a library, where they are surrounded by other focused individuals and have minimal distractions.
You need to find what works for you.
It may be a process of trial and error until you find the setting that works best for you, or you may find that a combination of different locations makes the process less monotonous and easier to stick to. , Office hours are a service that most students are either too lazy or too afraid to avail of.
However, most professors or T.A.'s are delighted to see students taking an interest and will be more than happy to answer any questions or address any concerns that you might have.
Just by making the effort to go to office hours, you are giving the professor a favorable impression of yourself, which might influence their thinking when grading your exam.
Discussing the course material with your professor may also give you some clue as to what he/she considers to be the most important topics on the course, and thus the most likely to come up in the exam.
He or she may also be able to steer you in the right direction when it comes to exam technique and what they will be looking for in the exam. , Study groups can be a great idea for people who have trouble motivating themselves to study.
Choose a group of people you like and work well with and organize a 2 or 3 hour study session once a week.
In a group setting, you can can bounce ideas off other people, work through difficult problems together, and ask questions that you would be afraid to ask a professor.
You may also be able to divide the workload between you.
For example, if you are studying from a textbook with long, complicated chapters from which only key information is needed, you could try taking a chapter each and summarizing its contents for everyone in the group.
This way you can get through a lot of information in a relatively short space of time.
When working in a study group, it is important that everyone in the group is at a similar level and has a similar work ethic.
Otherwise the study group won't work, as one person may end up doing all the work, or another might be completely left behind.
Don't feel bad if you need to pull out of a study group that's not working for you.
Doing well is what's most important. -
Step 3: Begin studying well in advance.
-
Step 4: Gather your materials.
-
Step 5: Choose a study location.
-
Step 6: Go to office hours.
-
Step 7: Organize a study group.
Detailed Guide
Before you begin studying, it is important to identify what your goals are.
Set a target grade for each exam and think about what you will need to do to achieve that grade.
Be realistic; consider how well you've been doing all year, how good your understanding of the material is and window of time you have to study.
Don't set your goals too low either.
Try to push yourself and set your mind to achieving your full potential.
Making an effective and realistic study plan is a vital component of doing well in your finals.
By planning out your study, you can ensure that you will have all the necessary materials covered by the time the exams roll around, thus minimizing stress and maximizing productivity.
Here are some things you will need to consider:
Create a time chart of your current activities.
Factor in classes, work, time spent with family and friends, etc.
This will allow you to see how much free time you have available for study.
Develop a study schedule that works with your timetable.
Use time between classes, commute time and any other free time to slot in some extra study.
Keep in mind that an hour of study every day will be more productive than a 5-hour block once a week.
Determine your study goals.
You shouldn't just write vague guidelines like "study biology"
-- your study plan needs to be specific.
Break down your study material into specific topics and tasks and fill these into your study schedule.
Give 20-minute slots to small, bite-size chunks of information and commit to the idea that you will know that information inside out by the end of those 20 minutes.
Stick to your schedule.
A study schedule is no good if you don't stick to it.
That's why it needs to be realistic.
Factor in breaks and potential distraction when planning, so there will be no excuses when the time comes.
If it helps, think of the study schedule like a job.
You have no option but to do it.
Consider that studying for a certain subject might take longer than you thought, so put in some extra time into your schedule. , This may seem like a bit of a no-brainer, but the earlier you start studying, the more prepared you'll be come exam time.
Starting early ensures that you will have time to cover all the necessary material, time to do practice exams and maybe even time to do some extra reading, which will give you an edge on the day.
By beginning to study well in advance, you will also feel less stressed out and anxious and have more confidence in yourself.
Ideally, you should make studying part of your weekly routine throughout the school year, not just coming up to exams.
You should prepare for classes by doing the required readings, along with some extra reading around the topic under discussion.
Engage with your professors, ask questions about anything you don't understand and take extensive notes, as these will be an invaluable study tool later.
After class, review the material and rewrite or type out the rough notes you took during class.
This will help you to retain the information much better when it comes to exam time.
Do not procrastinate.
Everybody is guilty of procrastination at some point, but coming up to finals you should make a serious effort to avoid it.
View your study schedule as being set in stone.
By actually doing your study when you say you're going to do it, you minimize the risk of cramming the week or night before the exam.
Tempting as it may be to put off study until the last possible moment, cramming so close to the exams is an ineffective way to study.
Cramming lowers the chances of you actually retaining any information and dramatically increases stress levels.
So do not procrastinate! , Gather and organize all of the materials and resources necessary for you to ace your exams.
Get together your class notes, old tests and assignments, class handouts, past exam papers and relevant textbooks.
Use folders, highlighters and sticky notes to organize the material and make important information easily accessible.
Read through your class notes and underline any key words, formulas, themes and concepts.
Your class notes are a valuable study resource as they are more succinct than textbooks and will give you some clue as to what the professor is most likely to emphasize in the exam.
Ask to borrow a classmates notes to compare with your own if you feel there are gaps.
Find some different textbooks from the ones you normally use.
An alternative textbook may provide extra information that will make you stand out from the rest of the class, or it might phrase a definition in a way that enables you to fully understand it for the first time. , Choosing the right location is an important aspect of effective study.
The ideal study location will differ from person to person.
Some people might prefer to work at home, where they can grab a cup of coffee or a snack whenever they feel like it.
Others prefer to work in a library, where they are surrounded by other focused individuals and have minimal distractions.
You need to find what works for you.
It may be a process of trial and error until you find the setting that works best for you, or you may find that a combination of different locations makes the process less monotonous and easier to stick to. , Office hours are a service that most students are either too lazy or too afraid to avail of.
However, most professors or T.A.'s are delighted to see students taking an interest and will be more than happy to answer any questions or address any concerns that you might have.
Just by making the effort to go to office hours, you are giving the professor a favorable impression of yourself, which might influence their thinking when grading your exam.
Discussing the course material with your professor may also give you some clue as to what he/she considers to be the most important topics on the course, and thus the most likely to come up in the exam.
He or she may also be able to steer you in the right direction when it comes to exam technique and what they will be looking for in the exam. , Study groups can be a great idea for people who have trouble motivating themselves to study.
Choose a group of people you like and work well with and organize a 2 or 3 hour study session once a week.
In a group setting, you can can bounce ideas off other people, work through difficult problems together, and ask questions that you would be afraid to ask a professor.
You may also be able to divide the workload between you.
For example, if you are studying from a textbook with long, complicated chapters from which only key information is needed, you could try taking a chapter each and summarizing its contents for everyone in the group.
This way you can get through a lot of information in a relatively short space of time.
When working in a study group, it is important that everyone in the group is at a similar level and has a similar work ethic.
Otherwise the study group won't work, as one person may end up doing all the work, or another might be completely left behind.
Don't feel bad if you need to pull out of a study group that's not working for you.
Doing well is what's most important.
About the Author
Jonathan Gonzales
Brings years of experience writing about pet care and related subjects.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: