Whether you are in college, graduate school or high school, finals week is one of the most stressful times in a student’s life. Studying strategically by following these helpful tips can help you succeed during your finals.

 

Start by creating your own study guide. Teachers will often provide them for you, however, by creating your own it may prove easier to understand the material. By outlining important information, you can prioritize and refer back to it while studying. Your teachers and/or professors are there to help you. If you are confused even a little bit it’s important to ask questions. Review sessions go over key concepts about what you should be focusing on when studying for the exam. It is important to attend these sessions so you are more prepared. Don’t wait until the end of the day or night to start studying for your exam. If you start first thing you won’t have to worry about being too tired later in the evening. Also, start studying ahead of schedule to prevent last minute rushing which will only create more stress.

 

Get your friends together for some pizza and a group study session. Picking another one’s brain can shed light on an answer you may not have thought of yourself. Do not just stick to your study guide alone. There will be other topics on the exam that are not in your study guide. It is very important that you take breaks and often. No one can memorize all of the material at once. Taking breaks will keep your mind fresh and help you stay recharged. Split the material you are studying in groups. This will help you not become overwhelmed. Focus on one group at a time until you feel comfortable that you understand. You should always quiz yourself when you have finished studying your group. Create potential exam questions and answer them. Save the questions you got wrong and go back and restudy them.

 

Evaluate your notes and organize them by what’s important. Stay focused by pacing yourself each time you study. By not pacing yourself you can easily burn yourself out.

Create a study schedule and make sure that you stick to it. A lot of people find that a color coding system helps them focus. You can use different colors to prioritize on the pertinent information. The best way to make studying less stressful is to keep it fun. After you have completed a task reward yourself with a candy or a break.