By: Dalton Kimbro
As Auburn University at Montgomery (AUM) students return from Thanksgiving break, classes wind down and the dreaded finals week is upon us. Finals week is a stressful time for students all across campus, from first-semester freshmen trying to start their college careers off on a good note, to juniors and seniors whose graduation dates depend on their final exam grades. As a senior, I feel inclined to take this time to share some things that I have learned throughout my college career about studying and test preparation that just may help some of you. Here are four tips to make sure you effectively prepare for and ace your final exams.
- Study what you don’t know.
This is a trick I learned from my Spanish teacher in high school. If you’re already super familiar with a particular topic or piece of information, why study it? Let’s face it, everyone crams during finals week. We don’t have time to study every little thing for every single class, so use your limited time wisely and study the things you’re having the most trouble with.
2. Change your environment.
This one is for all my friends out there who can’t focus in their houses or dorms. This is actually a much more common problem than I thought, but it makes sense. At your house or dorm room, you have too many distractions whether it’s your TV, loud roommates or your pet. I personally like to use the library when I really need to focus and work on school stuff. The change of scenery away from distractions helps me to accomplish what I need and I can study much more effectively without distractions.
3. Use your professors.
I remember in high school teachers made it seem like college professors were always out to get you with strict deadlines and no time to be bothered with students’ questions. As someone who has now been to three different colleges all the way from a large division one school to a small liberal arts college, I can tell you that nothing could be further from the truth. Professors are usually very passionate about their subjects and they want to see you succeed! AUM also has opportunities for you to reach your professors easily during this time like the Professors n Pajamas event on December 2nd in the Taylor Center where you can ask professors any last-minute exam questions.
4. Don’t forget about yourself.
It can be easy during this time to think about school and nothing else, but even in the midst of finals, we still need to remember to take care of ourselves. So every few hours, take a study break. Go work out, or go for a walk or just watch Netflix or sleep. Stress can catch up and swamp us during exam weeks so it’s important to try to do things to keep stress down. Make sure to get plenty of sleep, drink water and eat real food, not coffee, food. You will be more effective in your studies if your body is taken care of.
I hope I was able to help you through these difficult weeks with my shared experiences. Study hard, work hard and do your best on these exams, but remember, no matter how important they may seem, your value and worth as a human being isn’t determined by your major or your grades. I wish you all the best on your finals along with a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.