5 Tips to Prepare for Final Exams
1. Know What Type of Exam You Are Going to Write.
Exam questions come in a variety of types and styles: multiple-choice, true or false, short answer (a paragraph or less), long answers (2 paragraphs or more), essay questions, the list goes on. By gaining a better understanding of what types of questions will appear on any given exam, students will be better prepared mentally. They will also be more comfortable with test material by being able to prepare mock tests or exams!
2. Design a Study Schedule
It seems obvious, but in order to do well students must study. It is recommended to take at least an hour a day to review class materials, and to do practice questions or even sample tests/exams. Through this type of preparation, students will have a better feel for their strengths/weaknesses in all areas of the class and ultimately determine where to better direct their energies. Chunking study time into half-hour or hourly sessions instead of intensive 3-hour study sessions can also help to increase knowledge retention. The age old axiom – avoid cramming the night before – remains true today.
3. Material Beats Method
Does the textbook seem cringe-worthy at this point? Those 20-40 page chapters may be excruciatingly long, especially at the end of the year when you have to go through an entire textbook with more than 10-15 chapters (20-40 times 10-15, afterall, is fairly daunting at even less stressful times!). This is where the importance of prioritizing content comes in. Spending more time on practice questions or even re-reading notes may be a much more productive use of study time than going through the textbook again.
4. Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle
This is critical. Many people can relate to sleep-deprived nights of intense study the night before a final exam only to “wake up” to write a final exam in a groggy state of utter confusion. In order to best apply learned academic skills, students need to ensure maximum brain function for testing purposes; the brain shouldn’t be needing rest when you are needing it to perform! It is also wise to take into consideration a good diet and exercise; these are crucial for an engaged and active mind. The brain needs energy to operate ; please be kind to it before subjecting it to an intense situation like a final exam. It can even be ideal to take a break a half-hour or hour before an exam to relax the brain and ease stress levels.
5. Last But Not Least… Attend Class
Attending class is the simplest way to prepare for an exam. Taking notes, adding to class materials and paying attention will give all students the framework for understanding the questions on a final exam, and provide them with the tools they will need to be successful!
References:
http://studenthacks.org/2007/11/13/final-exams/
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/head-the-class/201204/end-games-preparing-well-final-exams
Read MoreTutorBright Appears on CityTV’s Breakfast Television.
TutorBright Appears on CityTV’s Breakfast Television
On Tuesday, August 9, 2011, TutorBright’s founder/CEO Sunny Verma appeared on CityTV’s Breakfast Television to speak about Social Media in Education.
Watch the video here.
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