Tomorrow is the last day of classes, and then finals will be
upon us! For those of you who will still be meeting with students, give them
some finals study tips! Some of the ones you suggested are listed below.
Everyone had great study tips and we appreciate you sharing!
Overall, the three
main points you mentioned are:
- Start EARLY – create a schedule of how you will allot your time during finals week and before.
- Be FOCUSED – don’t waste your time studying with distractions
- Take breaks when you need them and get enough sleep!!
Share these ideas, and the ones below, with your students as
you cheer them on through their finals.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Take each final and break it down into manageable components. I seem to get overwhelmed by the amount of information I am required to know for finals, but by taking each one and planning when I'm going to study what material, I am able to best manage the stresses.
- I turn my study guides from previous exams into power points. Using the animation tool I have a question appear on click and once I know the answer I click again to confirm.
- Get enough sleep during studying and before test.
- Practice, practice, practice. Practice problems are your best friend in classes like chemistry and physics. Use online tutorials to teach you (Khan Academy is amazing) if the book does not help.
- Study smart! Don't think that studying for 20 hours for one test distracted is any better than five hours of focus, uninterrupted studying. Smart studying will set you up for success.
- My favorite tip is to start early! I think it is impossible to do well and feel relaxed when cramming for a final exam. Starting early also allows students to take breaks and make sure they take time for self-care during finals time whether that be with exercise, taking a walk, listening to music, etc.
- I think it's really important to be giving 100% attention while studying for finals, however, make sure to move and take mini breaks so that you can continue giving all of your attention to the material you're studying.
- I would highly suggest reviewing old and practice exams from the class.
- For finals I really like to make a schedule with time blocks of when I will study each subject. Give yourself more time for each subject than you think you will need. This usually helps reduce my stress around finals time!
- Take a break! There's only so much studying you can do in one sitting. Taking the time to take a refresher is also an essential part for studying for finals.
- A few days before the final I sit down and write down everything I know about material. Then I go through it all and see how it manifests in problems. Anything I don't understand, I work at it until I'm sure I could reproduce it. After this, I do the practice exams, if there are any, and add to my list if I missed anything.
(Alicia Walker)
ReplyDeleteI strongly believe in getting as much rest as possible. Make sure that you get at least eight hours of rest and to eat before your exam. You will need all the energy that you can get!
Today one of my students and I made a schedule describing what she wanted to accomplish each day up until her final (next Friday). We overestimated the amount of hours she would spend each day. This way, she has room to breathe if something takes longer than expected. I really hope this technique works for her and has her feeling less stressed as the final approaches!
ReplyDeleteBrittni Schiewer
I think these study tips are terrific! Although I just had my last session with my student, I will make to email her some of these tips because I think they will be very helpful!
ReplyDeleteKelly Mularkey