Tip #1: Revisit course material

One of the best study tips for college is to revisit all of your course materials and revisit all of your notes for the semester! Depending on if your final is cumulative or not will ultimately decide on how much you need to study for your final exams. I like to organize my study notes on topics or sections to make a large task (such as studying material for an entire semester) more reasonable and tasteful. Keep an eye for any repeated notes or any highlight sections that seem important because if it looks important, it’ll probably be on your final exam!  

Tip #2: Plan ahead of finals week

Planning ahead is an essential (and critical) part of preparing for your final exams! I personally like to write down my exams, assignments, and final tests in my agenda using the monthly view calendar. This way I can see ahead of time when my assignments are due and prepare for any upcoming exams. The worst thing that can happen to you in college is completely forgetting about an exam and going to class completely unaware about it (it’s happened I promise!).

Tip #3: Prioritize your studying based on difficulty level

Finals week is literally Hell Week for college students because you get a ton of exams and projects all due back to back. Which is why it’s so important to prioritize your studying based on the difficulty levels of each class. The good thing about taking a variety of classes in college is that some classes are going to come naturally to you while others are going to require a little more effort on your part. Whatever that may be for you is where you start to figure out how to prioritize your studying.

My favorite way to prioritize my studying is to set time blocks for each class, ranking them from the hardest to the easiest, throughout the weeks leading up to the dreaded finals week. By ranking your classes and setting up time blocks, it gives you a written guide of where you need to focus the majority of your time studying and how much. If you don’t already own a planner, then you definitely need to get one ASAP. The one that I really enjoy using when I was in college (I graduate in May!) is the Erin Condren Life Planner (read my full review here!).

Tip #4: Find a conductive study spot

Another study tips for college is finding a safe haven that sparks your studying stride! Whether it be a local coffee shop, your desk at home, or at the on-campus library, having some place to go to get into the study zone is going to make a huge difference in your grades.

The best place to study is somewhere where its quiet, calm, and makes you feel the most comfortable. I used to study in the campus library but seeing everyone in a panic the weeks leading up to finals week really made me stressed out. So now I study in my room or at a local coffee shop where nothing can bother me from the tasks at hand. Find what works for you and make it happen!

Tip #5: Get enough sleep

I feel like this tip is a given, but sleep is so important for your body, mental health, mood, and so much more. I can understand that during finals week, you’ll feel like you have to stay up late to cram in as much material as you possibly can. But let me tell you why you need to get more sleep, especially during finals.

While you sleep, your brain will compartmentalize the material that you studied into short-term and long-term memory, which is great for you in terms of passing your exams. Plus while you sleep, your brain and body hits the reset button and gets to fully relax so when you wake up the following morning, you feel rejuvenated and ready for the day! The best way to get more good-quality sleep is to create a night-time routine and participate in a good sleep habits.

Tip #6: Live a healthy lifestyle as best as you can

During final weeks, it’s more important than ever to eat healthy and to exercise daily. This study tip may sound a little crazy, but I promise it really does make a difference! When you eat crappy food and become a coach potato, you can start to have less energy and your mood may decline. It’s because junk food doesn’t give your body the vitamins and energy that it needs to keeping going.

The same goes with exercise. Exercise gives your brain a physical boost that it needs to remember everything you’ve been studying. Even just eating slightly better than normal and exercising daily during finals week will make a huge difference in the way that you feel and how you perform on your exams.

Tip #7: Make a practice exam (or two)

One of the best study tips for college is to make your own practice exams and test yourself on the material. After a big study session, take a few minutes to write down everything that you remember from a specific topic or section that you just studied. Whatever you don’t write is what you need to focus on. This little secret will help reinforce the material that you’re learning but also give you an idea of where you have gaps.

Don’t like that idea? Another way for you to quiz yourself is to make your own exams or quizzes online using a platform like Quizlet. I’ve been using Quizlet for years and it’s the easiest website to make your own quizzes. To make a good quiz/exam, go through your study notes and create your own questions based off your notes and what you think is important. I have to admit that sometimes when I used to make my own practice exams, it would be pretty darn close to the real one, which greatly improved my exam score! 

Tip #8: Live a little

This may sound like a set up, but you have to live a little and give yourself a few breaks in between those long hours of studying. I promise you’ll end up going crazy if you don’t! You have to realize that there’s only so much that you can do to prepare for an exam and that your brain also needs a break from studying all day. You’ll end up being more productive by taking small increments breaks throughout your studying session. For an example, you can study for 25 minutes and then take a 5-minute break to do something else.

How do you prepare for finals week and your best kept secrets to acing an exam?

This post was originally published in April 2019 and has been completely revamped and updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

The post How to Study Effectively & Nail Your Final Exams appeared first on Uniquely Mickie.

Since it really made a difference for me, I figured I’d round up the very best posts that I found on studying, time management, and stress relievers that you can use to help you get through finals week.

The “Complete” Guide to Preparing for Finals:

The Best Apps for Studying: In this day and age with technology being so advanced, it’s only right that we use our smart phones to help us in college too. Samantha created a great list of apps that’ll improve your productivity and your study skills, perfect timing for final exams.

How to Study Effectively & Nail Your Final Exams: Obviously studying for finals week is super important and this guide helps you best prepare for the big day (or days if you’re oh so lucky).

How to Manage Your Time in College: If you’re going to be studying for multiple exams at the same time, then it’s super important to manage your time appropriately and effectively. Read this post by Natalie to get some great tips on time management.

A College’s Girl Guide to a Rocking Study Sesh: I love reading this guide because Gabby explains everything that you need to bring with you to have a great studying session. Take a look at this if you’re having a hard time focusing while trying to study.

The Perfect Intensive Study Routine to Ace Any Class: Here Madison lays out of all her study tips and schedule that’ll have you making straight A’s. I love reading this because it sparks some inspiration for different ways to study.

5 Steps to Dissect Reading Assignments and Understanding Them: I know a lot of majors have reading assignments or essays that are due around finals week so Charlotte created this awesome guide about how to understand your reading assignments and doing amazing on them.

10 Ways to Boost Productivity in College: With so many assignments or deadlines coming up, you’ll have to use your time more wisely than before. Domonique has some great tips on ways to boost your productivity, which is perfect for finals week.

How to Take Notes You’ll Actually Use: It might be a little late to start some of these tips that Sarah mentioned, but definitely save this post for later so you can start the next semester on the right track. Note taking is definitely a must-have skill if you want to do well in college!

7 Ways to Practice Self Care During Finals Week: We all know finals are a super stressful time of the semester, but you don’t want to lack on self-care and listening to what your body needs. These post outlines some great simple ways to take care of yourself.

10 Ways to Relieve Stress over Exams: Your mental well-being is ultimately the most important part about college so you’ll want to make sure you take care of yourself first. Rebecca created this amazing list of some fun ways to relieve stress, which is perfect to do during finals week.

The Night Before an Exam: Do’s & Don’t’s: I’ve mentioned this before on the blog, but the things that you do the night for an exam can really have an effect on your test scores. Read this post to get an idea of some great strategys to do before an exam and things to avoid.

Don’t forget:

Even though finals are truly a terrible creation, they are a necessary evil that every college student has to go through. Regardless of the grade that you may receive on a final or paper, your grades do not define you or your successes. It’s just a number! It’s just something that you have to do, and you’ll move on from it just like any other day.

If you are feeling stressed or overwhelm, take a break and do something that really fuels your soul and makes you happy. It can be whatever you want as long as it relaxes you, such as going for a hike or eating your favorite ice cream while watching Netflix. Just do something because at the end of the day, your mental health is more important a letter in the gradebook.

As always, good luck on your final exams! Go kill’em!

You may also like: How to Study Effectively & Nail Your Final Exams, 10 Things Nobody Tells You About College, and 9 Skills Every College Student Should Master Before Graduation 

The post The Ultimate Guide to Acing Your Final Exams appeared first on Uniquely Mickie.