Tag Archives: college finals tips

Prep For Finals: Eight Tips

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By Ally Romanes

The time has come! Finals are just around the corner. You might already be stressing trying to complete your projects and find enough time to study. But because we care, here are eight simple tips to help you prep for and crush your finals. 

Make A Study Plan

Before you start studying for your finals, make a plan to get organized. Think about which classes might be the hardest, that’s a great place to begin. Making a plan can help you keep track of your time so you don’t run out! 

Study Early

Get a head start on studying so you don’t feel overwhelmed and rushed during the weekend before finals or during finals week. Studying early will also help you remember the information you studied, which can lead to less time studying for that exam the week of finals. The earlier you study, the more confident you will feel taking the exam. 

Get Creative

If you use notecards or print out your notes, get creative by color-coding. Use colored pens or sharpies to write your notes and highlight important information. Color-coding your notes can stimulate your memory to remember what you’ve been studying. It will also be easier for you to find a certain answer or subject you want to look back and review, plus, it’s fun!

Study Notes

Always have your notes out and ready. If you need to go back and organize your notes, do it. Having your notes organized will make it so much easier for you to study. Also, check your teachers lecture slides if you missed a class or see if they uploaded a practice exam. 

Study Outloud

Reading your notes out loud can help you remember the information that you’ve studied. By talking through your material and thinking about facts and formulas out loud can help you retain information. 

Quiz Yourself

Quiz yourself over the information you already studied. Quizzing yourself can help you remember the things that you’ve studied and can help you remember the information. Ask your friends or your parents to quiz you too. 

Form A Study Group

Gather some classmates and form a study group. Studying with others can motivate you and help you learn better. By comparing notes, working through tough questions, and reviewing class material together, everyone can help each other succeed. 

Take Care of Yourself

Above all else, you have to make sure you are taking care of yourself. The pressure doing well can feel like a lot, but not getting enough sleep is much worse! Make sleep a priority. Your mind needs rest, just like you. 

Studying takes a lot out of you, so make sure you take short breaks. Grab something to eat, stretch or watch one episode of a show (just one episode!). Try to steer away from junk food and choose much healthier options. Don’t forget to drink water and stay hydrated! 

Good luck on your finals! Do your very best and have faith in yourself! 

 

Dealing With Finals Week Stress

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By Andrea James

Finals week is a dark time that happens regularly in a college student’s life, and sometimes you just need a little help coping. Well, the internet and I are here to help! Below are just a few ideas to get you through it.

  1. Take care of yourself. Mental health and physical health affect each other. Staying up all night, eating junk food, and skipping meals only hinders your ability to learn and recall information, makes stress and/or anxiety worse, and generally make you feel awful. The same goes for worrying about grades or overtaxing your brain to the point your physical health is negatively impacted and you get sick. You’ve heard a thousand times, but I’ll say it again anyway: get enough sleep, eat regular healthy meals, drink plenty of water, and make time for some exercise. It really does make a huge difference.
  1. Look at cute/funny things. According to Upworthy.com, looking at baby animals has actually been shown to improve focus, concentration, and productivity. Humor has even been shown to help with retention of material, according to an article on Edutopia.org.
  1. Do something nice for someone else—it makes you feel good, and improves someone else’s life as well.
  1. Read about nice things other people have done/experienced.
  1. Take a deep breath and find a way to relax, even if only for a little bit.
  • Do Nothing for 2 Minutes (take a two minute break to do nothing but listen to ocean waves and stare at a sunset)
  • Calm (free mindfulness meditation app with realistic scenes complete with appropriate sounds, like waves crashing on a beach at sunrise or a crackling wood fireplace)
  1. Talk to someone—God, a friend, family member, counselor, etc. Whoever you are most comfortable with. Or if you want something more anonymous, there are many hotlines/helplines and online resources available.

The Career & Counseling Center at PUC also offers free counseling sessions to current PUC students. Call (707) 965-7080 or email counseling@puc.edu to make an appointment.

Good luck with your finals. Take care of yourself. Have faith in yourself and that God will provide!