2008
Man oh man. Can you believe it’s finals time already? I can’t. Seems like just yesterday I was procrastinating on my final exams and papers from last semester!
I’m working on a post that will give you advice on how you can kick butt on your finals, but alas, I am pretty busy with school this week.
In the meantime, I’ve found some good articles on the subject that I thought I would share with you:
This article by Cal Newport is useful if you need a little structure in your study sessions:
My World Famous Mechanical Exam Prep Process
Too many students begin exam prep without a (sufficiently detailed) plan. They have, at best, only a rough idea of how they’re going to review before they dive straight into a pseudo-work grind.
Read more…
My friend Martin over at The University Blog will tell you how to be prepared for your exam in 7 steps:
Be 7 times ready for exams
Go through the rigmarole of examinations with a positive step and some initial work. You need to be 7 things in order to achieve readiness for the big day:
1. Be Selfish - For once, you need to ignore what’s going on around you as you stand outside the examination hall. Exams are not group efforts. The revision is done and was unique to your own mental strengths. Now is not the time to consider what other people think will be in the exam and how they have prepared for it. You’ve done all you can, so listening to others 2 minutes before you step in to the room is only likely to knock your confidence.
This one will help you determine whether you need a little improvement in the study skills department:
Test Taking Skills
Discover Your Strengths and Weaknesses
Good study skills can make a big difference in your school performance. Even if you find a particular subject difficult to understand, you will find that being organized and knowing how to tap in to your natural strengths can add valuable points to your scores.
Read more…
Memory is always an important aspect of test-taking and here is a little guide to help you pimp-out your memory at Lifehack:
How to Improve Your Memory
Fuel Your Brain
A starving brain is just like a starving person: it won’t work well. Give your hippocampus the things it needs to operate smoothly.
Exercise
One of the best things you can do for your memory is get exercise. I’ve put this under the Fuel Your Brain section because the reason exercise works so well is that it pumps oxygen to your head. Spend three hours a week walking, running, swimming or doing some form of aerobic exercises. If you already have an exercise regime that doesn’t involve aerobic exercise, you’ll need to add at least three hours per week to get the benefits of exercise on your memory.
Read more…
And a few more Effective exam-taking tips.
1) Focus on your studies. This means that all you will ever think about and do during this preparatory period is to study and that alone. Stay focused - no unnecessary text messages, no parties, no time for star gazing. You can better understand what you are studying and retain more information that you read if you refrain from distractions.
2) Join a study group. But be sure that when you do, you already have understood most of the topics so you will not get confused all the more when the group discussions begin. Do your part, study extensively, and take the opportunity to ask the group those topics that you cannot understand. Also, try to anticipate possible questions that might be asked in the exam and make a group effort to find the answers for these questions.
Good luck on your finals!
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