Crushing Your Finals!

Hey, Pirate Nation! As exam season closes in, we want to offer you some tips for crushing your finals! Keep reading to learn how to control your stress and prep for success.  

Environment:  

Finding a productive study environment is key to better understanding test material. A quiet, distraction free setting can help you focus and concentrate. Everyone’s study habits are different, which means that the perfect study environment will not be the same for you and your friends. Try including these tips into your study environment to promote successful studying:  

• Make sure that all distractions are eliminated. This could mean going to the library to study to avoid distractions from roommates, finding a quiet place outside to work to avoid distractions from your room, or taking some time away from friends to get some work done.  
• Eat a good breakfast or other meal before sitting down to study. Food rich in fiber will help to keep you full and energized for longer. Make sure to also drink plenty of water to increase energy, relieve fatigue, and stimulate brain function. 
• Put your phone away! Keep distracting technology in a place where incoming notifications will not cause distractions. Another choice is to just turn off your phone while getting work done. 

Study Habits:  

If you have trouble retaining information from simply reading over notes, there are a few methods of studying that could help you to better absorb information: 

• Space out your study time. Cramming information in the night before a test rarely leads to understanding and remembering what you need to know. Divide test material over a period of a few days so that your brain has time to process and remember things as you read over them more. 
• Rewrite the information. Writing pen to paper is proven to store and process information longer and more efficiently than taking notes electronically. Handwriting practice tests (if available) is another great way to engrain test material into your brain. 
• Use colorful highlighters to make important information stand out. Greenis a low wavelength color that improves efficiency and focus, and blue stimulates productivity. Incorporating these colors into study sessions can help you to stay calm and concentrate.  

When to study: 

Don’t procrastinate! It is a good idea to start studying at least 5 days before each exam, preferably during the daytime. Studying during the day is effective due to natural light which can help improve focus. Another benefit of studying during daytime is increased alertness, which helps the brain retain more information. When studying, start with the task you are dreading most. You will feel better once it’s done and can then move on to smaller, simpler tasks.   

We hope these pointers for studying have been helpful for you, and we wish you the best of luck on all your finals!