Preparing for Final Exams

1. Preparing for Final Exams A Study Skills Series Presented by General Studies

2. Managing Your Time Making Academics Your Top Priority Reducing Anxiety Using Active Study Strategies Avoiding Cramming Things to Take into Consideration

3. Manage Your Time Efficiently • Identify the days and time of all your exams • Create an End-of-Semester calendar • Know when the Last Class day and “Dead Day” are

4. Some students slack off because it is close to the end You have worked so hard why give up now? Calculate course grade to determine the impact of final exam Push Hard Put forth some extra effort to help bring up your grade Make Academics Your Top Priority

5. Reevaluate your goals for each class Look closely at where you stand in each class Consider all your options Set Priorities

6. Attend ALL classes

7. Reduce Anxiety • Don’t let final exams panic you • Get enough rest so you won’t feel stressed or worn out • Eat well

8. Review lecture notes the same day you take them Write and recite information to move it to long term memory Test your understanding of the material by using flash cards, self-test, and recitation Use Active Study Strategies

9. Stay Motivated • If you get tired or discouraged, give yourself a pep talk • Plan rewards that will help you stay on task • Surround yourself with other motivated people

10. Work Hard During Each Exam • Don’t be in such a hurry to finish your exam • Use problem-solving strategies to find the correct answers • Concentrate only on one exam at a time • Don’t allow your performance on one exam to interfere with your studying or performance on another

11. Look over notes and text after your test to check your answers and predict how you did Look over your exam, if the professor allows it, and determine whether or not your study plan was effective Even though the course is over and your grade is already assigned, this could benefit you in the future Monitor Your Progress

12. Reasons to Set Up a Final Exam Plan • Helps to avoid cramming • Enables you to utilize time more efficiently • Will enable you to maintain your motivation throughout exam week

13. Cramming is an inefficient use of time Leads to feelings of frustration Results in memory interference Especially ineffective if you have more than 1 exam on the same day Gives you less opportunity to organize, practice, and test your ability to retrieve information Reasons to Avoid CRAMMING

14. How to Set Up Final Exam Plan…

15. 1. Make a Final Exam Study Plan -look at syllabi or final exam schedule several weeks in advance -create a *Reminder Sheet for each exam that includes: 1. name of course 2. day, time, and place of exam 3. any materials required for exam *Put Reminder Sheet on a bulletin board or door, where it can be easily viewed

16. 2. Set Up Final Exam Study Plan • Don’t start to prepare too early • Preparing for exams several weeks ahead of time can cause you to forget the information before the exam • Space your study to aid retention • Crucial for getting information into long-term memory in a logical and organized manner • Study 1 chunk of material at a time, then review to monitor your learning

17. Set Up Final Exam Study Plan • Split your day when preparing for several exams • Requires planning and perseverance • Enables you to create 3 to 4 two-hour blocks of time each day to prepare for exams • Create a Final Exam Planning Calendar • Helps you keep track of your available study time

18. Creating a Final Exam Planning Calendar • Each study block needs to be followed by at least a 1 hour break • The break gives you time to rest and allows the information to “sink in” before you begin again • Color Code your Calendar • Pick a different color for each exam • Highlight each study block for that exam in the designated color

19. What is a COMPREHENSIVE final? • A final that covers material that was previously tested on, as well as new material

20. How to Prepare for Comprehensive Finals: • How to prepare for comprehensive finals is determined by what percentage of the final is comprehensive • Finals are usually 25%, 50%, or 75% comprehensive • The percentage of comprehensiveness determines the amount of time to devote to studying the old and new material

21. Spend only 25 % of the time you’ve set aside to study for this final for studying old material Spend the remaining 75% studying the new material Example: If your final consists of 100 multiple-choice questions only 25 of them will be from old material and 75 will be from new material 25% Comprehensive Finals

22. For 50 % comprehensive finals an equal amount of time should be divided between studying old and new materials You may need to spend more time on old material as a way of refreshing your memory For 75% comprehensive finals more time is required to study old material So few questions will be taken from new material so be sure to study the old material 75% longer than the new 50% and 75 % Comprehensive Finals

23. Good time management is a necessity Two weeks before exam make academics your FIRST priority Evaluate your current status in each course, to determine how much the final will affect your grade Use a study planning calendar to stay on task Develop a strategy to stay motivated throughout finals Put forth your best effort on all finals AVOID CRAMMING!!! Quick Reminders on Preparing for Finals

24. GOOD LUCK on Finals!!!