Things to Remember When Preparing for Finals

I’m pretty sure I was preparing myself for the first day of class not too long ago. Pretty sure that didn’t happen 3 months ago. I remember the feeling right before walking into class; it’s quite a similar feeling to how everything else starts. As much  as I want to deny that this semester is almost over, I think I believe it because of how strenuous this week has been: a broken laptop, turning a paper in late, presentations, homework, getting ready for finals, and even thinking about the holidays!

For those of us who have been in college for more than a semester, we know how stressful final exams can be. Some mistakes can be avoided, however. I wrote down a couple tips to help you prepare for finals:

1.) Use your time wisely.

Don’t wait until the last minute to finish homework, projects, or papers. Finish them now so you can have more time set aside for finals. I find cumulative exams especially stressful, so make sure you have time to read up all your notes because you’re not going to remember everything you learned since the beginning of the semester in one night. Work now, and surely you will be rewarded later.

2.) Focus on one thing at a time.

You won’t find carrots in the spice aisle because you’re thinking about carrots in the spice aisle. Focus on the spices first then go over to the produce aisle to get carrots (I don’t know why I’m thinking about groceries right now). Similarly, thinking about finishing other work while doing something else won’t make anything go faster; it’ll only add more stress.

3.) Don’t get distracted.

Distractions are everywhere. They’re there when we wake up and when we go to bed. They’re there when we do our homework or when we study. There when we go shopping… Almost everything we do we can get distracted. And that’s normal. But don’t let distractions be the reason you didn’t do well on your exams. Distractions can definitely be avoided.

4.) Live for the moment.

Enjoy the remaining 2 weeks of class! The last day of class is always a relief for some, a little bittersweet to others. Make sure to live life to the fullest.

Good luck on the exams!