As a future student you'll soon learn that before you can enjoy your long summer break, you'll have to start prepping for your finals.

Besides writing exams, the whole school year is wrapping up and because of that, it’s really important to stay mentally and physically healthy.

In this post, you’ll find five tips that might help you out as you begin preparing for your final exams.

Notes

It doesn’t matter if your notes are typed or hand-written, I recommend to start double checking and organizing them according to your courses. I personally do this around two weeks before the exam and usually use Blackboard or the course syllabus to check if my notes are on the right track in terms of dates and lecture content.

As you repeat this exercise for your other courses, you’ll realize that you’re a great multitasker. You have just organized, skimmed and quickly retained important chunks of information!

Colour-coding

Now this is my personal favorite. I love colorus, most of my notes are full of colour-coding. This method helps me remember the lecture material because I’m able to associate the colors I use with the notes I take.

Using colours as tools when writing or typing your notes is a great aid because it benefits your visual learning as your brain is automatically creating, capturing and storing important information.

While studying you’ll also find that the bright tones are grabbing your attention and because of that, you’re actually able to focus while you study.  

Study sessions

Study groups are ideal if you struggle with procrastination and postpone your studies until the day before the exam. This tip will help you study as you and your group will be meeting at a fixed time, motivating all of you to study (or at least try to study).

A good idea is to organize small study sessions with the people you know from your class.

I personally recommend going through the exam content before you attend one of these sessions. This way, you will be prepared to exchange ideas that will end up contributing to the learning experience.

Take breaks and rest

Let’s be real. It’s not always easy to revise 12 weeks of class in a couple of days. As you progress in studying for your exams, plan your study schedule and make sure you take breaks in between. This way, your brain will work faster while processing the information.

In terms of resting, I know it’s recommended to sleep around eight hours every night. However, during exam season this can be hard.

Don’t get discouraged, instead, try taking short naps during the day. A quick doze still helps in increasing our awareness and energy levels!

Eat healthy and exercise

Take care of yourself during this season by resting, eating properly and also exercising.

It’s important to fuel up your brain with healthy (and not greasy) foods. Consider meal prepping during this busy season and make sure to include protein, nuts, fruits, vegetables and of course lots of water in your diet.

A little workout at our university gym (also known as the FLEX) releases tension and stress. It also oxygenates your brain which allows you to study more efficiently.

If you’re stuck studying and can’t make it to the gym, make sure to stretch in between your breaks to improve posture and reduce anxiety.

As the finals season approaches, make sure to double-check your exam schedule to know exactly the time and location of each exam. Also, make sure to bring your student Ucard or government-issued ID to every final you write.

Remember, the bottom line of studying is understanding, not memorizing!

Do you have any other useful tip for this exam season? Let us know in the comment section down below.

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