By Amy Lukac
Opinion Editor
It’s time once again for final exams.
That means it’s time to prepare your desk! Put a water bottle near you; make room for your laptop, notebooks, and a mug with coffee filled to the rim. Do not forget to have a bottle of Advil or Tylenol in your reach.
The first thing you should do after you organize your desk is to put classical studying music on Pandora. Classical music is proven to help ease the mind and make studying more calming and effective.
Put your phone on silent, and get rid of the Facebook and YouTube shortcuts on your favorites tool bar. Trust me on this one.
Now you should be ready to start studying for finals.
The word “finals” seem to make students quiver as if they’re Banzai (the hyena in the Lion King) when he hears the name, Mufasa.
After you prepare your desk, you should prepare the windows on your browser. You should have D2L open (just in case you have an classes that include power points), quizlet.com, and any other website that would help to your advantage.
Entering information on Quizlet, and quizzing yourself, is one of the best ways to study. Quizlet allows you to customize and develop your own study methods. You are able to make flashcards and then use that information to create quizzes or games to help you study.
The college textbooks you purchased will also help you prepare. Re-read some chapters or browse through the glossary and read definitions. Any information you read and retain will be useful during your test.
Studying for finals can be overwhelming, so create a to-do list and prioritize it according to your own study habits. If studying for easier classes to get them out of the way is what you prefer, then do that. If it is the other way around, make sure you spend all of the time you need on the harder classes, and then worry about the easier ones.
Don’t spend hours at a time studying. You need to make sure you give yourself some time to take a break. If you’re studying for too long and become tired, you’ll probably fall asleep on your textbook or laptop and forget about what you studied last.
Close your laptop and your eyes, and breathe while taking in the classical music. Get up and use the bathroom, stretch, play with your dog, feed your fish, and grab a snack. Giving your mind a break will help tremendously, and you’ll feel better when you get back to the books.
Also, split up your studying time. Do a small amount of time one day, and some the next. Usually studying for every class in one day within long hours and cram sessions will just frustrate you, and will end up being less effective.
Last, but not least, do not skip sleep. Sometimes it seems like there is not enough time in the world to accomplish all that you need to get done, but you still need to make time to sleep. Even if it is only a few 10-minute naps throughout the day, it is important and beneficial. Sleep helps you commit information to memory and retain what you have learned. It also helps to keep you alert and avoid making easy mistakes.
Studying for finals (sorry for using the F-word) is usually stressful. Your head will hurt, you’ll crave coffee, and you might even fall asleep on your desk. The tips I listed above should help during your time in need. Don’t let, sorry, finals week win. Be prepared, and you’ll be fine!
Email Amy at:
alukac@live.esu.edu