One of the most important questions for many students, is how to prepare for final exams. Don’t stress too much over-preparing for final exams. The good news is that if you know what to do and actually do it, you’ll definitely succeed. So, what do you need to know and do to be able to prepare for your finals effectively? Luckily, in this article, we’ll share with you some actionable tips on what to do and what not to do before your final exams. Let’s start with some typical mistakes that many students make while preparing for the exams.
Big No-No’s while preparing for your finals
Very often mistakes can cost you a lot, right? Especially, if your final grade is at stake, you don’t want to fall flat because of some blunt errors that you could avoid. So why not learn from these most common mistakes that other students make while preparing for their finals?
1. Don’t do everything on your own
In most cases, multitasking kills your focus and productivity. At the end of the semester, your focus can be dispersed due to so many things on your to-do list. And they all may seem to be important, right? Essays, research projects, term papers, assignments, preparation for the finals. It’s always better to focus on one most important thing instead of trying to do all the tasks on your own.
2. Don’t study late at night before a final exam
This one is huge. Many students think that if they sit and study the last day, it can be ok. Then they usually find themselves studying late at night before the exam, their brain gets totally overwhelmed, they feel so much stress. The worst part of it, when it comes time for the exam, they feel exhausted because of the lack of rest, and they can’t perform well.
It’s proven by researchers and tested by students that such sleepless nights before final exams are going to bring you nothing but stress and bad results. So, we highly recommend avoiding this approach. Instead, start preparing for your finals in advance. It’s much more effective and stress-free to study 2-3 hours a day. Make sure you start your preparation at least in a week.
3. Don’t rely on your pure luck
Can you believe this? Some students actually think that they can be lucky enough and get the questions during the finals that they know well. So, they think they don’t need any preparation at all. This is a huge mistake. Don’t make it. Take your time and effort to prepare properly for your finals. Study the material properly and make sure you understand it really well.
4. Don’t think that you need no preparation because you can cheat
Some students may think they can pass their finals using cheat sheets or any other kind of cheating. So instead of focusing on learning the material, they are spending their time creating cheat sheets. Well, this is a big mistake too. In most cases, your tutors will do everything to prevent you from cheating. In the worst case, if you get caught, not only your results won’t be taken into account but also, you’ll get your reputation spotted for the rest of your college life. This is probably the last thing in the world that you want to happen. So, stay away from any kind of cheating.
5. Don’t try to memorize material the way it’s written
Many students torture themselves trying to swot everything by heart. Well, this approach may work. However, it’s not an effective way of learning the material as you are going to spend a lot of time memorizing everything. Instead, it’s much better to get into the essence of the given material, understand it properly, and try to put it into your own words.
For example, you can use some note cards while reading the material and every time you come across something that is really important (key points or main concepts and ideas), you can put them into your own simple words on the note cards. Then you can read the note cards several times a day and that’s it. This way you’ll remember all the key points and main ideas that you need to know.
How do you collaborate effectively to prepare for final exams?
One of the secrets that may help you successfully prepare for final exams in college or high school is collaborative work with other peer students. Even if you have never done study groups before, it is a perfect chance to start and see how effective they can be. The key idea is to find people who are approximately at the same level, because you don’t want people who will drag you down for a month or see you as dead wood.
Divide the questions, set the quality parameters for answers and just like that you will have enough information to work with. Take time into account. It is not the best option if you are looking for tips on how to prepare for final exams in a week, as collaborative work takes some extra time to kick in. If the deadline is too close, just grind and learn as much as you can in the given time. Start with a group for at least 3 months before the exam to maximize the results you can get working collaboratively.
Proven tips that will help you prepare for final exams effectively
Here are actionable tips that can help you make the difference while preparing for your finals.
- Develop good study habits. It means it’s always better to attend all the classes, take notes, and reread those notes regularly. It may seem to be boring for most of the students. However, this way you’ll stay ready for your finals from day one so you won’t even get ready for them.
- Take a mock test at least one time. This way, you’ll understand what you need to focus on during your preparation.
- Create a plan for what you are going to do during the exam. Determine the questions that you need to focus on first.
- If you feel you need some help with the questions for your finals, ask your advisor or tutor for assistance. In most cases, they are going to tell you where you can find the answers.
- Give your brain a proper rest before the exam.
- Do some physical exercises in the morning. It will help you feel better.
- Have a good healthy meal before the exam. Avoid carbohydrates as they will make your brain dumb.
