How to Smash Your College Finals
College finals can be rough every semester. These exams evaluate how much you’ve learned over the entire semester course. And some professors are notoriously ruthless. Without competent study skills or proper preparation, it could be a disaster. Dreaded as finals week is, it’s not going away anytime soon. So with a little prep, let’s get on to smashing those final exams and get the grade you want.
Get Help BEFORE College Finals
When it comes to study skills for exam mastery, it begins before you even crack a book. It happens all semester when you do your reading activities and complete assignments. The more you’re engaged, the more you’ll learn.
Throughout the course, request assistance by asking questions, clarifying that which you do not understand, and even teaching others (we learn at least 90% of what we teach). If need be, request an appointment with your instructor to discuss the material covered.
If you find yourself struggling, it may be in your best interest to enlist the assistance of a tutor or a team of academic coaches before college finals.
Study “Smart” Through the Entire Semester
The next step to preparing for your college semester exams is to study “smart” throughout the semester.
Determine what is easy for you and what is difficult for you. Then, master the easy information first.
Not only will it help you move along more quickly, but it will keep your motivation up so that you stay motivated and keep a strong momentum going.
Then, focus on the difficult material.
You may need to get a study buddy, take part in a study group, or hire a tutor to help with the areas where you are experiencing problems.
Consistently Review
College students are historically known for their “cram sessions”, but the truth of the matter is, these are not productive. In fact, they are counterproductive and don’t make studying for college finals any easier.
Good study skills include spending an hour or two reviewing the information presented in class, each and every single week.
Review your syllabus, as this outlines the most important areas and the ones most likely to be reviewed on your semester exam.
As each week progresses, review each of the weeks prior. In doing so, all of the material will remain fresh in your mind.
By the time that semester exams roll around, you will find that you do not have to study nearly as hard as you would have if you did not consistently review material throughout the course.
Weigh Your Options
When you start each of your college classes, you will be provided with a syllabus that outlines how much certain assignments, tests, and projects are worth when tallied to make your final grade. When comparing these, it is likely that you will discover a couple of things.
Many instructors prefer giving a project at the end of the semester instead of an examination.
Find out how much the semester final will be worth towards your final grade.
Those that items on the syllabus that weigh the highest towards your grade should be the ones that you place a larger amount of your focus in preparing for the semester exam.
Reduce Stress Levels
When studying for college finals, one of the most important and productive skill is to reduce your stress levels.
The goal should be to be proactive, not reactive.
This means planning well in advance, structuring your time, and having the confidence that you are capable of learning the material and will smash semester exam.
These things go a long way towards your mental and physical health and overall well-being. To make the most of the opportunities presented to you at college, it is a good idea to have solid support. The most productive level of support is an academic coach.
Essential Study Skills
When working with an academic coach, you will be presented with a variety of study skills that are essential to your overall success on semester exams. These will be tailored to your learning style, the courses that you are taking, and your individual strengths and weaknesses.
In the meantime, you may use the following study skills to get started on maximizing the opportunity for your academic success:
- As you work through your courses, create study guides that you may use to review the most important information covered and/or that which you find yourself grasping to understand.
- If review sessions are offered for your course, be certain to attend all of the sessions possible.
- Attend study sessions that offer opportunities for teaching and for learning. In other words, those that allow each person to teach a skill or concept. In educating others, you will enhance your own learning process.
- Learn to think critically, not just memorize information.
- Take regular breaks during study sessions, eat a nutritious diet, and ensure that you get plenty of rest.
- Outline a study schedule and ensure that you manage your time accordingly.
- Just as you make your classes a priority, make certain that you ensure that your study time is also made a priority.
- Determine what type of learner that you are. Are you a visual learner? Do you learn best by hearing? Or, are you a kinesthetic learner? Once you determine what type of learner that you are, create study guides, notes, and other study aids that go along with your learning style. This will aid in the overall mastery of the material.
- When attempting to better understand information, turn to online websites – such as YouTube – where you may watch videos on the subject matter. You will find that you retain the information that you view much better.
- Incorporate various memory techniques in order to retain information.
To increase your study skills and to maximize your success on semester exams, contact us here at Miracle Math to sign up for academic coaching that is specifically tailored to college students by calling us
At Miracle Math, we use a trade secret approach to accurately match up the students to the coaches. This allows the students to enjoy and grow on an academic as well as a personal level. All of our coaches are professional educators with extensive training, who you can respect and trust.
From children to teens to adults, your brain is never done learning. And that’s why we love it! Curious how your student’s brain works? Check out the free assessment to learn more or call us at (707) 398-3474.