Original: April 26, 2011 Issue 15
By: Sarah Elborai
Staff Writer
Are finals getting to you? Following these steps could relieve some of that stress.
Finals, finals, finals. The time has come. The doom and gloom of books and extra study sessions awaits MC students. This is the time when students feel guilt over the homework that they have not caught up with. If you need an extra push to get some studying done before finals, consider these studying techniques:
When you start studying for a subject, you should look over the notes you made for the chapters on the exam, in order to refresh your memory and see if there was anything you were unclear about. This way you can go to your professor as soon as possible. According to Darthmouth’s webpage, “Ranking your three classes and spending time on your most challenging class everyday and early in the day is an excellent way to keep on track with your studying.”
When you are looking through your notes, it is a good technique to make extra diagrams in the margins in order to visualize the work you have completed in your head, as suggested by “Tips on Effective Study” from College of DuPage.
Set a time for each subject. 20-50 minutes per subject is usually a sufficient amount of time for students to clearly refresh their memories, focus on the important notes and avoid distraction.
According to “Eating Strategies for Exam-Time,” a UC Santa Cruz webpage, eating small, frequent meals during your 10-15 minute break will keep your blood sugar and energy levels steady. In addition, the webpage states that students should avoid sweets and sugary foods and instead snack on a healthy high protein nutrition bar, increasing the student’s energy and concentration levels.
I’m sure a high percentage of students are used to drinking caffeine to continue studying. Nevertheless, it is essential to gradually cut back as it carries many health risks, such as heart disease.
Dartmouth.edu says procrastination is never an option, especially for finals. In addition, it is important to do work that requires the more concentration, typically reading, earlier in the day.
Using these strategies studying can easily be accomplished in a shorter and more focused span of time with successful results.
