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Final exam season can be a stressful time. The stakes are high, and there’s always a lot to do to finish your assignments, pass all of your exams, and earn the grades you want. On top of that pressure, the holiday season is looming and there are a million fun activities that can pull your attention away from studying. While final exams can be stressful, there are many strategies you can use to take control of your studies and find success. This blog post outlines the tips that can help.
The most important thing to do when beginning your final exam prep is to make sure you’re aware of everything you need to do. Start your planning process by creating a big list of everything that needs to get done. This list should include any papers, take home tests, or other assignments that need to be completed. It should include studying for each exam, as well as study-related tasks such as completing a study guide, making flashcards, or meeting with a teacher or professor. List out everything you will need to do during finals time to ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
When thinking about your different exams, it’s important to consider which ones are the highest priority. If there are any courses where you are hoping your exam will bring your grade up significantly, these exams are a high priority. If there are any exams you expect to be especially difficult or require an extra amount of studying, rank them highly as well. Finally, when thinking about exams, consider the order in which they take place. The later exams will allow you more time to study, making them lower priority in the early days of studying.
Once you have a list of everything you need to do and you know your priorities, you should create a study schedule. Use a calendar and start by writing down when all of your exams will take place and when any papers, projects, or take home exams are due. Then, plot each item from your to do list onto your calendar to determine when you will complete each task. Be sure to avoid loading up your days too heavily, keeping in mind that you will need breaks and that certain tasks might take longer than you anticipate. Having a clear plan of when you will complete each task will help ensure everything gets done and allow you to determine if you are on track throughout the finals period.
A great way to stay motivated throughout the study process is to get explicit about your goals. Think about what grades you want to earn and any other goals you might have around your work quality or time spent on specific assignments. You might also have goals around avoiding stress, giving yourself time to relax, and feeling calm going into your exams. Whatever goals you have for this time of the year, being very explicit about what they are can help your mind focus on these goals and help motivate you. For an added layer of motivation, post your goals somewhere and make them visible. Whether it’s a sticky note on your desk, a paper on the bulletin board, a tab on your laptop, or a note on your phone, paste your goals somewhere you can see them and remind yourself of them throughout the finals period to help you stay motivated and remember why you’re engaging in the hard work.
A great way to stay on track during longer study periods is to use an accountability partner. This accountability partner might be a friend, a classmate, a teacher, or a family member. Share your goals with your accountability partner and let them know when you plan to study and complete assignments, as well as when your exams are. In an ideal case, your accountability partner has exams of their own that they’re studying for and can do the same with you. Once you know what goals you are each setting out to achieve, you can check in with each other periodically to make sure you are on track. The goal of an accountability partner is to remind you of your goals and keep you on track through frequent check ins. There should not be any shaming or blaming attached to these accountability check ins. Instead, if one of you is falling short of your goals, give each other encouragement and problem solve together how you can get back on track.
While it might seem counterintuitive to productivity, taking breaks and allowing yourself time to relax is an essential part of ensuring productivity over a longer period of time. Without taking breaks, you are likely to burn out quickly, making the later parts of your finals period extremely difficult. Take frequent breaks and remember to pace yourself. Ideally, you should plan these breaks ahead of time before you’re feeling tired and overwhelmed. With frequent breaks, you can avoid feeling fatigued and overwhelmed during longer study periods.
In addition to taking breaks between assignments and study sessions, it’s also important to take breaks during your work to maintain focus and avoid burnout. The Pomodoro Technique is a great structure to use when thinking about these breaks, which involves 25 minutes of focused work followed by a 5 minute break. You repeat this process 4-5 times before taking a longer break. This method is a great one to ensure you remain focused and productive without burnout. However, it’s essential to truly honor the breaks, so consider getting up from your work station, closing your laptop, or closing your eyes.
A great way to stay motivated and on track during finals time is to establish rewards for yourself ahead of time. Consider some sort of reward you can give yourself after every completed task, such as watching a fun video, getting a coffee, or enjoying a favorite snack. It’s also useful to celebrate the bigger milestones with bigger rewards. Consider a celebration when you reach the halfway point in both your finals time and your to do list, giving yourself time to be proud of the work you’ve done, enjoy something fun, and reset your mind to tackle the rest of your tasks. Of course, establish the biggest rewards for when you are totally done with finals, choosing something that will keep you motivated the whole time.
When we’re busy and spending a lot of time studying, it’s easy to forget to eat regular meals. It’s also easy to slip into a pattern of eating pre-packaged snacks that aren’t overly nutritious to avoid spending time cooking or getting food. While these tactics are tempting, eating enough food and eating nutritious food is essential to success during your finals week. Regular healthy meals will help ensure that you have the energy to power through long study sessions and will properly fuel your brain to focus and think clearly on your exams. When planning out your study schedule, consider building in time to eat and to prep easy, healthy snacks or to go get food. Pre-planning these steps will ensure that your body has the fuel it needs to tackle finals week successfully.
Sleep is so essential to success on final exams, and so often overlooked during finals time. A well-rested brain is a clear thinking brain, and adequate sleep is linked to improved focus and improved cognitive performance. It’s also important for physical health, boosting your immune system to prevent you from getting sick and helping you feel better and more alert. For these reasons, it’s essential to prioritize sleep during finals time and to avoid giving up sleep to study. Plan out your study schedule with good sleep in mind, and build in naps if necessary. If you end up staying up very late one night, be sure to build in a nap or an early bed time the following day to avoid compounding the effects of lack of sleep.
Fresh air and sunlight are essential for wellness. Getting outside during the day can help improve mood, decrease stress, and improve your focus. During finals time, most people find themselves spending hours inside, whether it’s their bedroom, the library, or another study space. Spending so much time inside can often lead to increased feelings of tiredness, low moods, and trouble focusing. For this reason, it’s essential to build in some breaks where you can get outside, see the sunlight, and breathe fresh air. Even if these breaks are only for five minutes at a time, getting outside during the day will make a significant difference in your focus, mood, and cognitive performance.
Final exams are stressful for everyone, but they are especially stressful for those with ADHD or others who struggle with planning, organization, and other Executive Functioning skills. For these individuals, Success Coaching can be incredibly useful to help make plans and develop strategies that will help them be successful both during finals time and in the long term. YA Success Coach’s approach emphasizes getting to know your child as an individual and understanding their unique needs to develop strategies that will be supportive for them. Contact us today to learn more.
Having a conversation is the first step to helping your child realize their full potential and set them up for success!