Tips to Prepare for Final Exams

As the end of the school term draws near, those dreaded final exams are fast approaching. Its time to pull out the books and buy a new yellow highlighting pen.

Waiting for the last minute is not the best strategy, but there still might be hope if you pitch in and really study smart for the last couple of weeks

Choose your priorities.

The most important are classes that are critical to your educational program. Whether you are in high school or college, classes in your major are top priority. English takes priority over any elective class, you will need it next term and the rest of your life. Give extra time to each subject the day before its final.

Find a study buddy.

You might want to pick someone other than your best friend or someone you are used to goofing around with. Ask someone who can really help you understand the material. Before you meet, make a list of topics you really having trouble with. Get together at a time and place you can really concentrate without distractions.

Make study notes.

Write an outline or review of the main concepts. Make "flash cards" of the main points for quick reviews, and have your study buddy or anyone available quiz you. Review them one at a time, put them away, then immediately write them down again while they are fresh in your memory.

Attend review sessions.

If the teacher is having a review session, be sure to attend and ask about topics that you have not mastered. Play close attention to any study guide handed out. Ask for extra help, if you need it. Dedicated teachers are willing to spend extra time.

Research the exam.

Review all your previous tests and quizzes. This is a great guide to the type of questions that will appear on the final. Ask students that have taken the final exam before what questions are asked. They may even have an old copy of the exam they will let you study.

Try word associations and visualizations.

Repetition is often not the easiest way to memorized. Try word association. For example, you can learn the Great Lakes by writing their names:

Huron
Ontario
Michigan
Erie
Superior

The first letter of the names spell HOMES. Associate the word "homes" with the names of the Great Lakes, by picturing homes on a lake shore, and they should easier to remember. This is a good way to remember lists.

Visualization is another technique that is useful to some people. After you have studied each topic, imagine yourself taking the test and writing the correct answer down. The day of the test recall that memory as you come to that question. Great athletes use visualization to see themselves performing fantastic feats.

Sleep before the test.

Study key points just before you go to sleep the night before the test. Get at least five or six hours of sleep so that you will be alert. Have breakfast and drink some coffee or other caffeinated drink, but don't take "uppers". They may make you too nervous or cause you to crash during the test.

Preparing in these ways may not guarantee an "A" on every final exam, but it does make it very likely you will not repeat the class and worry about taking the final again next term.