Each semester your final exams will be different – sometimes
you may have few exams and more papers and projects, other years you may have
all cumulative exams. Everyone will have
a different schedule. Some people will
be done after the first two or three days, others will have an exam scheduled
at the very last time slot. Your
roommates may all be leaving for break at different times. Some other things to keep in mind are:
- It goes without saying to make sure you know exactly when and where each exam will be given. And – be early! Get a good seat! Take a few minutes to do a quick final review.
- Make sure you are spreading out your studying as described in earlier blogs. Arrange your time so that the last class you study for is the one in which you have the first exam the next day.
- If you have two or more in a row, prepare a few summary cards for the second and third exam that you can review as you walk to those exams.
- Do not go out to celebrate with friends who are done with exams if you are not!
- Do not let other students share their stress with you. It is common for someone to talk about how nervous they are. In many cases they are relieving their stress by sharing it with you! Don’t fall into their trap!
- Use appropriate test-taking strategies for each type of exam. For example, use process of elimination with Multiple Choice, read the entire prompt and answer the points in order for Essay, remember that one wrong work makes a statement false in a True/False exam.
- If you are nervous, take a deep breath when you get the exam and before you start. If you do not know the first answer, look for a question you know. That will relieve your stress and help you access the information in your brain.
Your hard work and studying will pay off. Then you can enjoy a well-earned break!
*****First Semester Success, 2nd Edition, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available in hardcopy and as an eBook from amazon.com and hardcopy from wordassociation.com. Click on the upper right link.
