The Best Ways To Prepare For Midterms and Finals

         Both midterms and finals week can be a stressful time for all college students. But knowing how to properly prepare for these exams is the key to preventing stress and it will definitely help you pass every single one of your exams. There are many ways to prepare for the tests and I would love to help you out. Down below are a few ways I have learned to get ready for my exams and I personally think they are the best ways out there. They will certainly help you out.

Say NO To Cramming

Try studying in intervals. Study in 20 to 50 minute increments and give yourself 5 to 10 minutes in between as a break. This method is more beneficial than cramming. Distributing learning over time typically benefits long-term retention more than a short period.

Alternate Study Spots

Shake up your midterms and finals routine! Spending all night in the library can be draining. According to the New York Times, simply alternating the room where a person studies improves retention. In an experiment, psychologists found that college students who studied a list of 40 vocabulary words in two different rooms — one windowless and cluttered, the other modern, with a view on a courtyard — did far better on a test than students who studied the words twice, in the same room. Why? Supposedly, the brain makes subtle associations between what it is studying and the background sensations it has at the time. Try alternating your study spots between the library, a study room, and a quiet coffee house.

Time Management

Cramming everything together causes anxiety, which causes your ability to lower and prevent information to stick in your head. By creating a balanced study plan and schedule, you will be able to study each subject in its entirety and ultimately boost your test performance.

Avoid The All-Nighter

Almost every college student pulls an all-nighter from here to there, but it is a bad idea. Based on a 2008 study by Pamela Thacher, Associate Professor of Psychology at St. Lawrence University, all-nighters impair reasoning and memory for as long as four days. As a result, you will receive lower grades. But that’s not all; you would then be forced to wake up earlier than expected–and that’s bad too. According to Dan Taylor, director of a sleep-and-health-research lab at the University of North Texas, this will interfere with rapid-eye movement (REM), which aids memory. So, get a good night’s sleep and expect to perform better on tests.

(Quick tip: Review the toughest material right before going to bed the night before the test. It makes it easier to recall the material later)

MINIMIZE Distractions

Research shows that while many teens prefer to study while listening to music, texting friends, or watching television, they are less likely to retain information that way. If you must listen to music, stick to instrumental music and try your best to stay focused throughout your time studying.

MAXIMIZE Practice-Testing

You may have thought highlighting, re-reading and summarizing would be effective ways to study. Think again!  A 2013 study, Improving Students’ Learning With Effective Learning Techniques, found that these techniques do not consistently boost students’ performance. Practice testing through the use of flashcards, or taking practice exams was observed to be a highly effective studying technique.

             I came across a great website and learned all these tips from Shaniese Alston. Shaniese was a student assistant in the Office of New Media of the State University of New York for the fall 2013 academic semester while a student at the University at Albany.

http://blog.suny.edu/2013/12/scientifically-the-best-ways-to-prepare-for-final-exams/

Different Ways On Staying Organized

            Regardless if you are a commuter or a resident, many college students face many difficulties throughout their time attending school. One of the biggest problems students will have to eventually overcome is organization. In my opinion, I believe every college student should be organized. This will allow them to stay ahead of the game and to never be lost throughout the academic semesters. Down below are a few tips and tricks on how we can manage this.

Weekly Planners

    Using a weekly planner can save your life in various ways. A weekly planner displays the months’ full calendar view and an agenda for everyday. In the full calendar view you can write down the major dates. On the agenda for everyday, you can write down the homework you receive from every class you went to that day. Using a weekly planner can help you keep track of what you have to complete in a specific time frame. This includes what you need to have prepared before the next class, what material you have to study, what important events are coming up and etc.

“A student planner is a backpack necessity. Take that thing everywhere. Write down assignments and exam dates as they come up. Cross off items as you complete them. When your professor hands you a syllabus at the beginning of the quarter or semester, look it over and make notes in your planner that remind you about important dates, such as midterms or big project due dates.” (Susan Revermann)

Syllabi

            Keeping all your syllabi is very important. A syllabus is your professor’s guide to what your entire semester is going to look like and what should be expected from you. These are usually given during the first day of your classes and I highly advise that you to not lose these! It would be a good idea to mark your syllabus with everything you need to remember and don’t forget to highlight! Making an assignment list can also be a great idea.

“When I was taking five classes, keeping an assignment list saved my tail quite a few times. Gather all your syllabi together and make one long sheet of every day that an assignment is due.” (Sara from the blog Sara Laughed)

Having Separate Materials

            Many students believe that not having to carry or be responsible for many materials is great. This is where many students aren’t fully aware of how having separate materials for the different subjects is very important. Having different materials, such as: folders and notebooks can help you stay organized. You won’t be able to confuse your notes or any handouts from each course. Having the subjects separated will help you notice the importance of each and you won’t have to hassle over looking for certain notes or handouts from the class.

“Everyone is different, but I find binders the easiest for most of my classes. Find out which one(s) work best for you and then do your best to keep them organized.” (Sara from the blog Sara Laughed)

Color Coding

            Color coding certain objects, whether it be highlighters, post-its, index cards, pens, folder, notebooks, binders, etc. will help specific things stand out to you. Certain colors can indicate the level of importance and it will certainly catch your attention. Try giving each class a color. Different color coded items are affordable and they can be found in any supply store.

“Each of my classes gets a distinct and separate color like blue, red, or green. I then match all my binders and notebooks for that class to that color, so that they are easier to find and grab when I am on the go.” (Sara from the blog Sara Laughed)

“Inside your backpack, you should have a folder for each class. Each class should have its own color, such as biology has a blue folder, math has a red one and yellow for philosophy. Put the handouts, diagrams and assignment papers in the folders as you get them, so they don’t have a chance to “disappear” on you. If you want to keep all of the folders in one place, put them in a three-ring binder.” (Susan Revermann)

Time Management

      Managing your time wisely is a major key on staying organized. If you can manage your time around your planner then that would be great. Having your schedule planned out can help you with almost everything academic wise.

“Try to keep a daily or weekly schedule that you’ll stick to. I find that I’m a lot less productive when my schedule is all over the place…Figure out what time of the day you are the most productive. For some people, it’s in the early morning before breakfast; for others, mid-afternoon, or late at night. Find when you get the most work done and try to optimize that time for productivity and work.” (Sara from the blog Sara Laughed)

“College life is a busy time, and you may feel overwhelmed or like you can never get everything done. Sit down, write out a daily schedule on a piece of paper and transfer the completed schedule into your planner.” (Susan Revermann)

http://classroom.synonym.com/stay-organized-college-1419.html

http://saralaughed.com/index.php/45-tips-for-staying-organized-in-college/

Top 8 Methods To Study

            Studying can be a hassle for literally almost everyone. Studying can be difficult, especially if you don’t know which methods to use that will successfully help you memorize and learn the material properly. Here is a list of eight ways you can use to help you throughout the year. You can either choose to try them all or simply choose which ones will work best for you.

1. Review The Lesson Plan Prior To Class

            One may realize that just by simply skimming through the chapter of the textbook before the class can be a great benefit. It can help you get a better understanding of what you will learn during the class and you will also be able to participate.

http://centuracollege.edu/blog/10-effective-study-habits-for-college-students/

http://www.wikihow.com/Develop-Good-Study-Habits-for-College

2. Turn Off Your Cell Phone

            This must be one of the most important things you decide to do during studying. Studying should be a time where you fully concentrate on your schoolwork and have every other thing out of your mind. You will realize that this act won’t be as bad after all. Any social media site won’t distract you and texting won’t be your main concern. Yes, it will be difficult at first, but turning off your phone will be a huge benefit.

3. Take Good Notes

            A great way to take great notes is to never miss a class. No reason should be accepted. You shouldn’t sleep in, go to any school events, and especially try your best not to be sick during any class. Don’t do anything that will cause you to miss any course. Another great way to take good notes is to choose a good seat in class. If possible, front and center would be great. Nothing catches your attention more than sitting at the front of the class. This seat doesn’t allow you to daydream or get lost at all during the lecture.

http://howtostudyincollege.com/in-class/

4. Ask Your Professors

            If you don’t understand something that was said throughout the class lecture then you must immediately raise your hand and get your confusion clarified. If you are a shy student then make a side note of what you don’t understand and ask the professor after class. I believe you should not leave your class until you completely understand the concept. Not understanding the topic and just ignoring it will just cause your confusion to grow and being lost will not be a good thing whatsoever. Never be afraid to ask for help, everyone in class eventually runs into something they struggle with.

http://howtostudyincollege.com/in-class/

5. Immediately Review Your Notes

            It is best to review your notes literally right after they are taken. Since you were just writing them down, it will be best to scan through them again to keep them fresh in your memory. Going through your notes will help you memorize and it can help you fill in the areas you missed. Try your best to study at least a total of an hour everyday to help you memorize what your just learned. Studying could involve reading the notes, checking the textbook, browsing the web and etc.

http://howtostudyincollege.com/in-class/

6. Dedicate A Specific Time and Place To Study

            Having a set place and time to study can make all the difference. You may not think so, but the library will become your favorite place during college. The library separates your personal life from your academic life. Studying in the library will help you stay focused. The silence in the library is the best way of studying for either an important exam, homework or just to go over notes from a class. College students who tend to not try this method usually end up becoming more stressed about homework and studying because they are not sure on where and how to study. Having a set time and place to study relieves all those stressors and gives you the opportunity to focus on the material you need to cover.

http://howtostudyincollege.com/where/

http://centuracollege.edu/blog/10-effective-study-habits-for-college-students/

7. Make A Study Group

            It has been said that when you find the right study group, it can really help you with difficult topics and course material. If you are a social person, it is great to make a study group. Many college students can benefit from this tip. We all know the saying “Two heads are better than one, three heads are better than two…” the more people the better, but just keep it a decent size so you can all actually be able to help each other out.

http://centuracollege.edu/blog/10-effective-study-habits-for-college-students/

http://www.wikihow.com/Develop-Good-Study-Habits-for-College

8. Make Index Cards

            Index cards are a great way to help you memorize. You can make index cards for every course and they can literally save your life. You can make them regarding definitions and topics. You can have the key term on one side and its definition on the other. You can also have the topic title on one side and the main points of the topic on the other side. Regardless on how you choose to use them, flipping through the cards will help you memorize many things and doing this for a decent amount of time will help you become a pro.

Getting Involved In School

There are many resources being offered on campus to Pace Students. Students have the opportunity to use as many of the resources as possible and the greatest part of it all is that they are FREE. Both commuters and residents have the opportunity to take advantage of these tools. Every one of these resources is available at almost any time, so it is flexible enough to fit everyone’s schedule. There should be no excuse that a student is failing or falling back in any specific course because they are offered all the help they can possibly get at school. Using these resources will be a great benefit for oneself and the community around us.

           One out of the variety of resources being offered at Pace University is the Writing Center. The Writing Center offers free writing consultation services to all students as well as to the whole campus community. Most English professors recommend their students to attend the Writing Center. Not only is it a requirement for the class, but also professors have realized that students who use the Writing Center are actually being helped with their weaknesses and they get help with any part they are stuck on with their writing. The Writing Center can help anyone out no matter what part of the writing process one is in. Whether it is from beginning an outline of your ideas to finishing the final draft, Pace offers writing mentors to help the students realize their strengths and weaknesses. This technique helps students become better writers and it helps them have a better understanding of what they should be doing instead of what they are doing now. Pace’s Writing Center is located in 15B of Miller Hall from Mondays through Fridays and on Sundays it is located in 134 of Alumni Hall. The Writing Center is available from Mondays through Thursdays from 10:00am to 7:00pm; it is closed on Fridays and Saturdays; but it is available again on Sundays from 6:00pm through 10:00pm.

Another resource being accessible is the Tutoring Center. This center is fully committed to offering any tutoring service possible by helping students in various different courses being taught at the University. Students from our own University are the mentors in this program. This strategy helps out in a big way because more than one person has gone through the same courses. I believe that the mentors going through the same courses as we are going through now is great; they will know which ways are easiest to teach you and which methods should really be used to succeed in class. Pace’s Tutoring Center is dedicated to hiring and training well-qualified undergraduate and graduate tutors. It is located on the third floor of the Mortola Library. Its hours of operation are: Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10:00am to 9:00pm; it is closed on Fridays and Saturdays; then on Sundays it is available from 4:00pm to 10:00pm.

         
           The last, but certainly not least, resource being available to every student is the Mortola Library. The main goal of the Mortola Library is to teach and help out undergraduate and graduate students of Pace University. The Library offers various things. The Library contains an electronic classroom, laptops, printers, books, Research/Reference Area, three separate floors to accommodate everyone’s studying needs and it even has a Pace Mart. The Electronic Classroom is available to classes and Professors can use it as a way to teach their students. Laptops are available to every student so they can borrow and use for the time they spend at the library. Printers are also available for every students’ need. Students have $30 worth of printer money on their card and if you use it wisely, it will last a very long time. Every student is given a library card when they first take a tour of the library with their University 101 class. This card allows students to check out books and make reservations of a book throughout the year. The Research/Reference Area is a place in the library where you can get help on looking for any type of research/reference you may need. They can also help you out with your research paper and get you started. The Library has three separate floors, each floor has their own rules so anyone can choose any floor to be in and study as much as they want or converse with others as much as they please. Lastly, a Pace Mart is available at the Library. This store is run by Pace students. The store has literally almost anything you need and it is all sold at a reasonable price. 

            Have you ever used one of these resources available at Pace? If so, please share to the readers which resource you have used and how you found it helpful.