How to Study for Finals
"Finals..!" This short word makes even the most intelligent ones sweat
and go mad with tension. It's a kind of war for a student, where he /
she prepares with complete dedication and effort, and then armed with
all the weapons in the form of pens and other accessories, leaves for
the war (sorry exam), with the near and dear ones wishing all the luck
and then praying for success. Final exams is the last hurdle in the
year, and it is the school gifted opportunity to bear fruit for all the
hard work during the year. Passing the finals with good results will
give you a feel good feeling, and so you should be very sincere and
dedicated in the final exam preparation. Have all the above thoughts
made you serious enough about study, and the question, 'how to study for
finals' now lingering in your mind? If yes, then it's a good sign,
because we are here with what it takes to pass exams (be it College or
High School) with flying colors. Keep reading the following study tips for exams.
Study Tips for Finals
- Start Early: When dealing with the final exam
preparation, follow the maxim - 'Early bird catches the worm', and I
think it should be modified to - 'Early starting student catches the top
rank'. And it's very true! You as a student should be very consistent
in your preparation for the finals from the first day of school itself.
Avoid being lazy and complete studying the lesson on the day it was
taught. Starting the preparation early is definitely going to benefit in
the long run for the exam preparation.
- Do the Homework: Be very sincere in doing a day's homework,
and don't ever ask your best friend to do the homework for you. Homework
is given for practice and makes the basics strong. Also go through the
lessons before they are taught in the school. This helps in
understanding the lessons with a deep insight.
- Ask Doubts: You should not feel shy to ask even the silliest
of questions to your teacher in class. Remember, you are planning for
the finals, and a single doubt in your mind can spoil your chances in
the exam.
- Don't Ignore: No matter how boring the subject is, don't
ignore it. Instead, prepare the tough subjects earlier, and when the
exam's nearing, prepare the easy subjects. Once you are done with the
boring subjects, you will feel a lot better.
- Use Charts: Studying the textual thing can become a bit
boring and time-consuming sometimes, so you can make attractive charts
using colorful sketch pens. Also make charts of important formulas for
an easy and quick reference. When you are not in the mood to read, go
through these charts.
- Concentrate: Concentration is the key to success, so use it
as a tool to boost your chances of exam success. Meditation and deep
breathing exercises will help you concentrate on the subject better.
- Analyze: Use the results and performance of your previous
exams in the final exam preparation. This helps you identifying weak and
strong points, and thus helps in the final exam preparation.
- Read Out Loud: Believe me, this tip really works well if you
want to imprint something permanently in your mind. When you are
reading, your ears also work, along with your eyes and tongue. This
helps in retaining things strongly, and is especially useful in learning
formulas.
- Group Study: Group study is very useful in exam preparation,
as you get to discuss things with your friends. You can take breaks in
between and chill out with friends too. This also helps in better
understanding of the subject. But remember never to let the seriousness
go away.
The above tips can be implemented only when you have lots of time
to prepare. Now, if you have come to a situation where you are wondering
how to study for finals at the last minute, this can be quite tricky
because you have to counter stress also along with the study load.
Though it's always better to avoid last minute preparations, the
following study tips would be useful in preparing for the exam at the last minute.
Study Tips for Last Minute Preparation
- Compromise: To achieve success at the last minute, you
have to compromise on certain things. There might be a case that your
final exam is just 5 days away, and the same time, your favorite soccer
event is going on. In such circumstances, what you need to do is
'compromise', as an exam is much important than the soccer match.
- Make a Timetable: When the exam is near, a proper routine
should be followed and stuck to. Make a timetable for the day, and
prefer keeping the morning hours reserved for study. Utilize all the
hours fruitfully.
- Utilize Time: Now is not the time to waste, as the final
exams are round the corner. Complete utilization of time is very
essential. Whenever you have free time, you should study something and
focus only on the exam.
- Keep Stress at Bay: Stress levels generally rise as the exams
get nearer. It's better to keep stress at bay for the best. Stress
affects the mind and hampers your studying pattern.
- Eat the Right Food: As the exam nears, you should cut down
fast food intake and indulge more in fruits and other healthy food
items. Having proper meals is very important for stamina and the mind.
- Practice: Again, as the exams near, you should start solving
sample question papers to assess your performance, and then work on the
right areas.
- Take Breaks: Studying continuously tires the mind, so it's better to take small breaks while studying. It freshens up the mind.
- Take Enough Rest: To appear for the exam, you should be
healthy and fit enough. So don't overwork your mind and body too, and
give them enough rest.
- Think Positive: This the most important thing to be kept in
mind. No matter how tough the situation is, always think positive and
hope for the best to happen. Before going to sleep, imagine a
'successful you'. This has a profound effect on the subconscious mind
and helps in success.
So deck up your room with charts, arrange your table, and create
the study atmosphere. Hope that the tips on how to study for finals help
you in climbing the success ladder.
