Preparing for Finals

Preparing for Finals | Finals Game Plan | Breaking Down Large Projects | Studying for Exams

Finals week can be the most stressful time for a student. There are a number of ways to improve your performance during finals week.

Here are a few to try out:

• The earlier you start preparing, the better!
• Create a successful finals game plan using this template (.doc) (.pdf) or your own calendar or planner.
• Break large projects down into smaller, more manageable pieces.
• Review previous exams and learn from your mistakes and test taking errors.
• This Error Analysis for Past Exams (pdf) is a helpful tool for self-reflection.
• Apply strategies for effective learning, such as:
  • Space out your studying over time
  • Switch between subjects while you study
  • Practice bringing information to mind
  • Quiz and test yourself
  • Study with a partner or study group
  • Ask for help
  • Take breaks and get enough sleep
• Keep test anxiety in a “sweet spot” where it can enhance focus without becoming debilitating. If test anxiety is interfering with your performance or your quality of life, try some of these suggestions to cope with your test anxiety.
  • Prepare well in advance and avoid cramming.
  • Remind yourself of past successes and how you got here.
  • Get a good night's sleep for several days before the exam.
  • Practice relaxation and breathing exercises.

• Studying for Exams
• Strategies for Effective Learning (pdf)

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Finals Game Plan

Do you get overwhelmed thinking about finals week?

Creating a realistic study schedule and following it will make the final two weeks of your semester less stressful and more manageable. By splitting exam material into smaller chunks and by breaking larger projects (e.g. final papers) down into bite-size pieces, it will be easier to keep track of what is ahead of you and what you have accomplished. Including ALL finals (exams, papers and projects) in one plan will clarify how much work you are facing, how early you should start and where you have to set priorities

1. Materials and tools you need to get started?

When sitting down to create a plan for finals preparation, have in front of you:

• A calendar (printed out or electronically)
• Different colored markers (if using a paper calendar)
• Each class syllabus
• All course material

2. What do you include in your Game Plan besides study and writing sessions?

Before you can dedicate certain times in your schedule to study or writing sessions you need to prepare your calendar by adding:

• Exam times
• Due dates for papers, projects or take-home exams
• All class times (before reading period)
• Any meetings (with professors, TAs, counseling, coaching, etc.)
• Review sessions (you might get information on exam format and key concepts to focus on)
• Study group sessions (quizzing and teaching each other are some of the most effective study strategies)

Once you have this scaffolding built, you can start adding your study and writing sessions (25-90 minutes per session). Work backwards starting at your final due date.

Study sessions for an exam. Go through the course material that is relevant for the exam and define small chunks of material that you can study in one session. For example, you can split by topics, book chapters, lectures, problem sets, vocabulary sets, etc.

Writing/work sessions for a paper or project. Set multiple milestones (e.g. research, outline, first draft, revision and final paper) or break your writing down into different chapters, sections or sub-sections.

To finalize your Finals Game Plan add:

• Wake-up and bed times
• Meal times (try to eat healthy and include brain foods in your diet)
• Breaks (avoid burn-out by applying the pomodoro technique)
• Time to exercise (increase your energy level, brain function and mental state)
• Self-rewards (after accomplishing a study session allow yourself a piece of chocolate, sip of coffee, fresh air, etc.)

3. What do you consider when scheduling work sessions?

• Keep your energy level in mind (are you a morning bird or night owl?)
• Study in the right order by setting priorities
  • Consider your current class standing. Is there a class you should be putting more effort in?
  • Is there a final that will be more difficult than others? Give yourself more time to study for your toughest classes. This will also give you more time to ask your professor questions.
  • Study material in this order:
    • 1. definitely on the final
    • 2. probably on the final
    • 3. might be on the final
• You can choose if you want to combine study sessions and writing sessions in one day or dedicate one day to studying and another day to writing.
• To prevent burnout and encourage recall and memory, consider switching up your subjects. For example, physics in the morning, computer science in the afternoon, and English in the evening.
• Make sure to schedule personal recap sessions to repeat the material you have already studied.

4. Last but not least!

Start early. If you start ahead of due dates, you can do your best work and get the most out of your classes. Be realistic about how long certain tasks will take. Starting early will allow you to plan in buffer times and much needed breaks.

Ask for help. Your professors and TA’s are there to help! Ask them questions regarding the material as soon as you get stuck. It can be a time saver to receive a quick answer instead of struggling for hours.

Stay well-rested. Make sure you are well-rested so that you can be fully focused during your exams. Getting enough sleep (about 8 hours per night) the weeks leading up to your finals is also important as you will be able to concentrate better and retain information longer

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Breaking down large projects into manageable tasks

Do you tend to procrastinate working on large projects? Do large projects paralyze you and you don’t even know where to start? Do you want to feel like you are making progress towards achieving your goals?

If so, break down your large project into smaller, more manageable tasks. It is easier to work on a short task (30-90 minutes) than on a large project (weeks/months). The following steps will help you break your large project (e.g. paper, lab report, presentation, etc.) into bite-size pieces.

Step 1: Define milestones

• Break a large project into monthly, weekly or daily subprojects, aka milestones. 
• Define milestones based on different phases or different categories of the project.

Step 2: Define tasks needed to reach the milestones

• Define the tasks that need to be done to complete each milestone.
• Brainstorm and write down every single step you can think of.
• Use specific verbs (e.g., write 300 words, read chapter 3, proofread my draft) to describe your tasks (avoid broad verbs: “do’ or “work on”)

Step 3: Put those tasks in the right order

• Think about the logical order of completing those bite-size pieces.
• What should you do first, second, third, etc.?

Step 4: Add the tasks to your calendar

• Ask yourself for each step, how long will this take me?
• Overestimate how long each task will take to ensure you have built-in buffer time.
• Ideally, work in sessions between 25 and 90 minutes long. If your list entails steps that might take longer than 90 minutes, try to break them down further.
• Add the small tasks to your calendar, starting at the project due date (or ideally even 2 days before that) and work your way backwards.
• Assign yourself a deadline to each task, which will help you focus

• Research your paper subject
• Outline
• First draft
• Revision

Small Tasks

If your milestone is researching your paper subject, small tasks could include:

• Meeting professor
• Meeting with librarian
• Reading and taking notes

If your milestone is creating an outline, small tasks could include:

• Meeting with WA
• Creating the outline

If your milestone is writing a first draft, small tasks could include:

• Writing introduction
• Stating argument A
• Stating argument B
• Conclusion

If your milestone is revisions, small tasks could include:

• Meeting with WA
• Revision of draft
• Proofreading
• Checking the formatting

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Studying for Exams

1. Create a game plan.

• Develop a realistic study schedule that defines what, when, and where you intend to study.
• Identify available study times after adding class times, meetings, and review sessions to your calendar.
• Don’t forget to schedule sleep, meals, time to exercise and down time.

2. Space learning out over time.

• Learning curves show that spaced learning produces better retention and recall rates than typical crammed learning.
• Review information multiple times over an extended period of time
• Whenever possible, don’t cram. Studies show that cramming can lead to higher stress and lower success.

3. Define WHAT to study.

• Think like a professor. Try to grasp your professor's objectives and pay attention to concepts the professor focused on in class or in homework, quizzes, problem sets, and other assignments.
• Predict exam questions. Start by going through your lecture notes, problem sets, headlines and sub-headlines of readings. Also, formulate questions that ask how various concepts relate to each other.
• Set priorities. Consider your current class standing. Is there a class you should be putting more effort in? Is there an exam that will be more difficult than others? Give yourself more time to study for your toughest classes. Study material in this order: 1. definitely on the exam, 2. probably on the exam, 3. might be on the exam. 

4. Choose HOW to study.

Study aids for memorizing information. Some courses (e.g. language classes) can require you to memorize large amounts of information. Consider the following study aids:

• Make flash cards to help you memorize vocabulary, dates and equations, etc. (Quizlet)
• Come up with a mnemonic device to help you memorize facts by using a phrase or acronym you’ll definitely remember. For example, HOMES for the Great Lakes.
• Link information you are trying to memorize to something that you already know.

Study aids for understanding information. While there are times you will need to remember lists and terms, the core of learning is understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating concepts and ideas (see Bloom’s taxonomy). Consider the following study aids:

• Reorganize your notes into important concepts, formulas, dates and definitions.
• Rewrite charts of theorems, mechanisms, or principles in your own words.
• Color code material that's going to be on the exam by what's most important, less important, etc. This will help you prioritize the material.
• Ask yourself questions like “What does that mean?”, “How does it work?”, “How is this connected to other things?” “Why is this important?”
• Create concept maps or diagrams to organize details and to identify hierarchical and functional relationships. This is especially beneficial when learning concepts that build upon the understanding of one another.

5. Review your last test.

Reviewing and analyzing a test can be a valuable tool for learning. Identify the problems you had with the exam. How did you study? Did you prepare effectively? Did you mis-read questions? For more guidance on how to analyze what went wrong, download the hand-out Error Analysis: Self-reflection.

6. Quiz and test yourself repeatedly.

• Repeated testing enhances learning more than repeated reading or reviewing your notes. Consider online tools like Quizlet.
• Work under test-like conditions whenever possible. (Time, place, open or closed notes, etc.)
• Take practice exams provided by your professor, use questions at the end of a book chapter or create one yourself based on old exams (see think like a professor). Review your answers and focus on filling your gaps.
• For essay exams, practice producing your response or outlines instead of merely reviewing the material over and over again.

7. Form a study group or work with a study partner.

Not only can it be more fun to study with friends, learning by asking and answering questions is also a really effective method. Explain difficult material to a study partner or in study groups. By talking through the facts and formulas with a study partner, you’re thinking about the material more deeply, which means you’ll remember it better later. Reading periods and remote learning in particular can be isolating, the shared human experience of working together can be vital.

8. Ask for help.

Take advantage of office hours or review sessions to ask questions about the material. Your professors, TA’s, and study group leaders are there to help! Ask questions regarding the material as soon as you get stuck. It can be a time saver to receive a quick answer instead of struggling for hours.

9. Get enough sleep.

Make sure you are well-rested so that you can be fully focused during your exams. Getting enough sleep (about 8 hours per night) the weeks leading up to your finals is also important as you will be able to concentrate better and retain information longer.

10. Take breaks.

Ensure that you reward learning with break times to recharge and relax. Apply the pomodoro technique and use a timer (ideally shaped like a tomato) to break down your study sessions into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short 5 minutes breaks. You can also work for 50 minutes and then take a 10 minutes break. After four short pomodoros (~25 min. each) take a longer break.