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/