Hey guys! It's Shianne here. As you all know, it is indeed finals week. It is crazy to imagine that the semester is already almost over (thankfully). This semester has definitely been challenging considering the danger of rapidly increasing cases of Covid, as well as the difficulties of online classes. However, we are ALMOST DONE! HALLELUJAH! If you are struggling like me and do not know how you are going to cram for what feels like exam after exam after exam, then this is the right article for you!
I have been cramming for finals like there is no tomorrow. I spent my fall break stuffing my face with turkey and eating loads and loads of mashed potatoes with lots of gravy! Finals came full speed, however, and now I'm just trying to keep up and pass with flying colors (or just normal colors). This is not an article that supports procrastination and encourages cramming, but I cannot sit here writing this article and admit that I have never done either. I am a normal college student who, when the time for finals comes, seems to forget everything she has learned over the past several months and starts freaking out entirely. Finals can feel so overwhelming, but with the right study hacks and cramming techniques, this week will fly by in a breeze!
1) Write down everything on paper!
Studies have shown that writing information down on paper improves retention of the information. Putting pen to paper actually helps! This can be done by writing on index cards or in old-fashioned notebooks. Spend time away from looking at your laptop or iPad, get your eyes away from the screen, and grab a pen instead.
2) Don't Over-Study!
As tempting as it sounds to sit in front of your computer for seven hours straight to finish writing a fifteen-page paper that is due at midnight along with a lab that is worth 15% of your grade, it actually makes things worse for you. Researchers have explained that long study sessions are proven to be less effective than short study sessions with breaks in between. Believe it or not, your brain needs breaks too! So, if you have the chance to catch dinner with your friends, go have dinner with your friends; then, come back to the cramming with a fresh clear mind!
When you are in your short cramming sessions, it also helps to move around. Don't stay seated in one place for the whole duration of your studying. By moving around from time to time, you are engaging your mind and getting blood to flow throughout your body, making you more energized. Change the way you are studying, too. If you are reviewing notes, switch to talking out loud to a roommate or classmate, or resort to just reading from the textbook. This helps keep the mind active and alert.
3) No All-Nighters!
Sleep is SO IMPORTANT! We all think the same thing of "I'm really tired and could use the sleep, but I could use this time for sleeping to study for more finals!" We have all been a culprit of this excuse even though we all know better. It is better to not know some details for your finals than to try and remember every single piece of information but not be able to because of sleep deprivation. Every Honors student has worked very hard to get into the Honors College and is continuing to work hard to be successful in their future career. I know we all want those straight As and perfect GPAs, but looking back ten years from now, will it really matter if you got one B or even a C in PSY 325? We are taught in the Honors College to always try our best, but to take care of our personal selves in the process.
4) No Social-Media!
This one seems pretty self-explanatory, but social media will just distract you from studying for finals. Put the phone face down and hone in on your studying.
5) Set Goals and Rewards for Yourself!
I have used this technique myself. By setting goals and rewards for yourself while studying for finals, you incentivize yourself to be successful while studying. For myself, ice cream is a huge motivator, so I tell myself after reviewing so many chapters or writing so many pages, I am going to help myself to a serving of ice cream. By setting these goals, I give myself a checkpoint to look forward to and reach. If I am studying for hours and hours, with no end in sight, I will lose my mind--but ice cream heals all. Your own goals and rewards can be different--whatever you think would be a good checkpoint for you, whether it is watching a quick episode of the Office, making yourself a little snack, or playing a quick game of Ping Pong.
These are just a few tricks that can help you be the most successful when studying. Just remember, we will get through this! Good luck to everybody on finals, and feel free to comment any other studying/cramming hacks you like to employ!
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