Good luck with exams - some study and prep tips!

It's that time of the quarter again - week 10 is over and finals are around the corner. Feeling anxious about final exams? You're not alone. Below are some simple tips to help you better deal with the anxiety and ace all of those exams. We know you can do it so have some faith in yourself too! :)


Basic Prep and Exam Tips

1. Prepare!!!
Make sure you actually study for the exam! If your professor says that X, Y and Z will be on the final, don't study J, K and L first... you could run out of time before you get to studying what is guaranteed to be on the exam.

2. Notecards
If you are studying for a class where definitions, formulas or dates are important, re-writing the information once more helps a lot with remembering.

3. Read
Review the chapters you have already read and if time permits, read the ones that you just didn't have time for during the quarter after you read your class notes. This will reinforce some of the information anyway.

4. Stay active
Get to the gym or do some sort of exercise as often as normal if not more. It helps keep you healthy while your immune system is dealing with all the stress from week 10 and finals week. Eat as healthy as possible too.

5. Don't wait!!!
Waiting until the last minute to study for that exam that is worth 40% of your overall grade is probably not the smartest idea. Even if you are burnt out, try to spend small amounts of time reviewing beginning days before the exam. If this is no longer possible, study as much as you can and think positively. Going into a test feeling unprepared and like you will do poorly on the exam will make you more anxious and forget what you do know. You made it through 10 weeks of that information, you will think more clearly if you stay calm so don't stress out too much!

6. Now you can fall asleep...
Make sure you get a good nights rest before the exam. It will help calm your nerves as well as make you feel rested and ready to take on the world, or at least the exam.

Test Taking Techniques to Reduce Anxiety from Suite 101

• Once you start taking the test, there are things you can do to calm yourself down. One technique is to take long, deep breaths. If you feel yourself getting anxious, stop and breathe. It's also helpful to stretch.
• Feel stressed about time? It might actually help to stop for a minute, close your eyes, and breathe. This seems counterintuitive, but a little time taken to relax can help you work more efficiently.
• Another thing that helps many students is to make a "game plan." If there's an essay, outline it ahead of time so that you know what you're going to say. If you have math problems, figure out the order you plan to solve the problems, and how long you think each problem will take

For more advice check out this article... unless you are trying to find another way to procrastinate studying for your next exam! =P


-Chyna Trible, CJSA PR Executive