Finishing up Strong and Prepping For Finals!

So you’re semester is likely coming to a close so I thought it’d be fitting to do another posts on studying and finishing up your semester STRONG. This can be kinda tough if you’ve been a GRADE A slacker for the last 10 weeks. But hopefully that’s not the case and you’re all properly positioned to knock your finals out the park. Below are a few tips of things to do to get your life in gear for the end of the semester. 

1. The Syllabus Strikes Again- You’ll want to refer to your syllabus again and this time to get some very specific and very important information. First, it will tell you how the class is constructed and how each course component will be considered to form what will be your final grade.  Will you have to take a final, write a final paper or do a combination of the two? You’ll also want to check to see how much weight your homework and class participation will hold on your final grade. It's all there make sure you know what you need to know. Reading the directions is usually the first step to success.
2. Don’t Be Shy- Knowledge is power and often time professors aren’t all that secretive when approached in the proper way.  Make the effort to  reach out to your professor, before or after class to see where you stand.  Find out if you’re missing assignments and if your professor has a make up policy for any work that you may have messed. If you tell them that you want to do well in their class and then behave accordingly most professors will generally agree to meet you halfway.  Other questions you may want to ask are if the final exam will be cumulative and if there are any possibilities for extra credit work if you grade needs and extra push.
3. Clear up Any Confusion- Don’t wait until two three days before your final to crack open your books. Read through your class notes and review handouts and look specifically for concepts and ideas that you struggled with or were especially challenging to you. Make a note of these things and approach your professor to see if he/she would be willing to meet during office hours to go over it.  Making this effort will like take some of the stress of studying as concepts are lot easier to retain once we understand them completely.  
4. Prepare to Study- Go over your lecture notes and make sure they are clear and legible. You could even take an opportunity to read through, condense and conceptualize. In undergrad, I usually did this by typing up my handwritten notes on my computer. I'd read through and make outlines and study guides where I'd fuse together class notes, notes from the reading, feedback from papers and exams, etc.  That way all of the course information and exam would be in one place then in a bunch of different place.  Handling and chewing on the course content like this really helps it sink into your head.  Also look into review sessions, group study sessions etc and get involved. Talking about things out loud also helps you retain and remember. But make sure you use this time for studying and not just socializing.
5. Manage your time- Review all your course syllabi and make sure that there are no surprises. Finals are a stressful time and getting your dates crossed will likely leave you in tears.  Get your calendar, daily planner, phone, Ipod or whatever you use to send you reminders and make sure that you know your test dates, study groups sessions, paper/project due dates, etc. Plan your study time around other work and social responsibilities but do NOT lose site of your priorities.  Set realistic goals, and make sure you allotting time for sleeping, eating and showering and checking in to see what’s going on the www.theGlamNERDS.com

Hope this helps guys!

Till Next Time, 

Tykeia

aka 

The GlamNERD