What are your best tips for getting through final exams?

[futuredoc95]

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Hey everyone,

So I am a first-semester Pre-Med freshman and I have finals this week and next week. Luckily, I have A's in all my classes right now but finals are worth so much that a bad final could really sink that grade. I have 7 exams to prepare for in the next 10 days and I am a bit stressed to say the least. The people on SDN are such great students that I was hoping I could get a bit of advice from you guys. My toughest exam will definitely be my Physics final. What is the best way to prepare for a Physics final? Any tips on how to survive these next 10 days? How much sleep on average do you get during finals week?
Hope you guys have some tips that I can implement into my life right now! Thanks a ton!

 

[plumhill]

Hey everyone,

So I am a first-semester Pre-Med freshman and I have finals this week and next week. Luckily, I have A's in all my classes right now but finals are worth so much that a bad final could really sink that grade. I have 7 exams to prepare for in the next 10 days and I am a bit stressed to say the least. The people on SDN are such great students that I was hoping I could get a bit of advice from you guys. My toughest exam will definitely be my Physics final. What is the best way to prepare for a Physics final? Any tips on how to survive these next 10 days? How much sleep on average do you get during finals week?
Hope you guys have some tips that I can implement into my life right now! Thanks a ton!

I study in the order of my exams, and tackle high-yield material first. At this point in the year you should be reviewing material, not figuring it out for the first time, so now isn't the time to spend 3 hours figuring out one concept. For physics specifically, be familiar with the main equations (or know how to derive them) and do practice problems. Go through past exams and quizzes to see what types of questions your professor has asked.

It's really popular to not sleep much during finals week, but frankly you aren't doing yourself much of a favor by going 10 days on <6hrs of sleep. I try and get at least 7hrs a day, especially the night before a test. If you allot 7 hours a day for sleep, 2 hours a day for food, 1 hour a day for ADLs, and even 2 hours a day of mucking around on the internet, that still gives you 12 hours a day to study. You shouldn't need more than that.

Give yourself breaks but make sure you stay focused. If you start to feel your brain turn to mush, switch subjects or take a 10 minute walk.

Another thing: I have found that tech-free breaks are more effective than checking social media sites. When it's time for a break, take a walk, go for a quick jog around campus, grab a snack, doodle, etc. It helps more and prevents you from suddenly spending 4 hours on Netflix.

 

[rolliespring]

Sleep, eat, and prepare to get fat.

But srsly, sleep well. You should be fine if you've done well in the past.

 

[phunky]

Adderall

 

[swolebrah]

nootropics

 

[Contr0lz]

I already gained 6 pounds from eating subway everyday for the last week and a half :/

 

[swolebrah]

I already gained 6 pounds from eating subway everyday for the last week and a half :/

Yeah subway sometimes has even more carbs then most mcdonald burgers. Dat dere ranch, cheese

 

[plumhill]

I already gained 6 pounds from eating subway everyday for the last week and a half :/

+1 except I had Wendy's, which is worse.

 

[frenz059]

Finals week can be difficult to balance. Try to keep in mind, achieving high marks should at no point in a semester become an ends. However, as outcome does matter some, make sure to prioritize accordingly. Meaning, calculating the needed percentages on your seven exams to achieve the desired grade in each course might be a good idea. Think about the courses in terms of how many point can be lost between now and the end. Then, contemplate the amount of studying needed to achieve that grade. The need to score a B on one final to achieve an A overall, and the need to score an A on another for the same mark, might suggest more time should be spent on the latter. Please take note though, knowing you only need a B on an exam to make it look like an A is no excuse for not trying to achieve complete understanding if circumstance permits. Your understanding of the material will be tested again, whether that is in your current course or not.

As far as study tips, make sure to take into account whether the final is cumulative (it sounds like you can study for regular exams so keep on doing what you've been doing there). A cumulative final is best approach by studying in small increments multiple time a day (a chapter at a time type pattern) and start studying right around now-ish. Rotate between subjects every hour to two, you have a lot of studying to do, and doing so will help you stay engaged. Remain confident, you will make it though. Most importantly though, balance is key, make a list of what you believe is needed for you to perform the best you can, and schedule your time accordingly.

Lastly, academic doping is not a solution. Consult a medical professional if you feel the stress placed on you is too much and needs mitigation, many solutions exist. Best of luck, I'm sure you'll do great! 🙂

 

[kyamh]

Agreeing with frenz059 with a small addition:

Remember to still have a little bit of fun. I don't know if your schools gives "reading periods", that is, days before the exam period after the courses have concluded meant for studying. If you do have a reading period, take at least an hour or two per day to kick back, take a break, grab a drink (or a Shirley Temple if your case 😉 ), and convince your equally-stressed friends to watch some mindless TV or grab some ice cream or a pizza together. It's good to study, but you will go crazy studying all the time.

Along those same lines, take short breaks while studying. I like to take coffee breaks (go out for a walk over to a coffee shop) about once every two hours while I study....yes, I love coffee 😀

 

[Mavs88]

Something I will say has helped me is to do practice problems in classes like calculus or organic. Also, space out your studying so you won't be cramming. Even spread it out over days if your school has dead weak or dead days.

 

[idkididk]

Hold up. How do you have 7 exams? You're not taking 7 classes, are you?

 

[lobo.solo]

For the physics class, go over study guide (if you have one) do a lot of practice problems, if it's a cumulative exam, re-do previous midterms. Sleep as much as you can.

 

[Goro]

100% concur. These are some of the tricks my top students use.

I study in the order of my exams, and tackle high-yield material first. At this point in the year you should be reviewing material, not figuring it out for the first time, so now isn't the time to spend 3 hours figuring out one concept. For physics specifically, be familiar with the main equations (or know how to derive them) and do practice problems. Go through past exams and quizzes to see what types of questions your professor has asked.

It's really popular to not sleep much during finals week, but frankly you aren't doing yourself much of a favor by going 10 days on <6hrs of sleep. I try and get at least 7hrs a day, especially the night before a test. If you allot 7 hours a day for sleep, 2 hours a day for food, 1 hour a day for ADLs, and even 2 hours a day of mucking around on the internet, that still gives you 12 hours a day to study. You shouldn't need more than that.

Give yourself breaks but make sure you stay focused. If you start to feel your brain turn to mush, switch subjects or take a 10 minute walk.

Another thing: I have found that tech-free breaks are more effective than checking social media sites. When it's time for a break, take a walk, go for a quick jog around campus, grab a snack, doodle, etc. It helps more and prevents you from suddenly spending 4 hours on Netflix.

 

[pyrrion89]

Another thing: I have found that tech-free breaks are more effective than checking social media sites. When it's time for a break, take a walk, go for a quick jog around campus, grab a snack, doodle, etc. It helps more and prevents you from suddenly spending 4 hours on Netflix.

A real pro tip! I am going to use this. Thanks! 🙂

 

[bambam92]

sleep is for the weak. Just lay it all out there man and you will be fine. And get as much sleep as you need, but finals week isn't the time to be treating yourself to 8-10 hours of sleep a night. I function find on 6 hours and even less. Try to see how much you really need, you could surprise yourself just like I did. I used to always sleep 8+ hours, but then I started setting an alarm and I have averaged 6 hours the last year. And I literally feel no different on 6 hours versus 8+ hours. So I would rather have those extra 2+hours to go to the gym, take a run, or something productive. Good luck!

 

[Jabawocky]

I already gained 6 pounds from eating subway everyday for the last week and a half :/

Well this is just from poor sandwich choices.

 

[redpanda]

sleep is for the weak. Just lay it all out there man and you will be fine. And get as much sleep as you need, but finals week isn't the time to be treating yourself to 8-10 hours of sleep a night. I function find on 6 hours and even less. Try to see how much you really need, you could surprise yourself just like I did. I used to always sleep 8+ hours, but then I started setting an alarm and I have averaged 6 hours the last year. And I literally feel no different on 6 hours versus 8+ hours. So I would rather have those extra 2+hours to go to the gym, take a run, or something productive. Good luck!

Sleep is for people who know that their cognitive skills decline when they don't sleep enough. Alternatively, sleep is for people who planned ahead and didn't save all their studying 'til the end of the semester.

 

[Aerus]

At this point in the year you should be reviewing material, not figuring it out for the first time, so now isn't the time to spend 3 hours figuring out one concept.

I assume you go to a semester school and not a quarter system school. 😛

Otherwise, I agree with everything you said!

 

[plumhill]

I assume you go to a semester school and not a quarter system school. 😛

Otherwise, I agree with everything you said!

Actually I go to a school that switched from quarters to semesters. I still stand by my comment 🙂

 

[Aerus]

Actually I go to a school that switched from quarters to semesters. I still stand by my comment 🙂

Then you should know that quarter system schools still teach a lot of new material until Friday before the week of finals. Thus, even in your "review of finals", you are still "figuring out the material for the first time", especially in heavy classes like Organic Chemistry, which attempts to cram tons of new mechanisms in the last week.

 

[plumhill]

Then you should know that quarter system schools still teach a lot of new material until Friday before the week of finals. Thus, even in your "review of finals", you are still "figuring out the material for the first time", especially in heavy classes like Organic Chemistry, which attempts to cram tons of new mechanisms in the last week.

True, although this happens on semesters, too. I was referring more to concepts taught earlier on in the term; if you don't know it by finals week, your time is better spent elsewhere. Also regarding material taught right before the final, I personally have noticed that those topics are covered only in limited amounts on the final so again, if you don't get it within a couple of days, your time is better spent elsewhere. Of course n=1 here, so your experiences may have been different.

 

[Aerus]

True, although this happens on semesters, too. I was referring more to concepts taught earlier on in the term; if you don't know it by finals week, your time is better spent elsewhere. Also regarding material taught right before the final, I personally have noticed that those topics are covered only in limited amounts on the final so again, if you don't get it within a couple of days, your time is better spent elsewhere. Of course n=1 here, so your experiences may have been different.

Very few semester schools end the week before finals week. The majority (that I've seen) have a "chill" week where there are no classes and no exams and people can review for their finals.

Also, I'm not sure how much you experienced the quarter system at your school before the switch, but topics covered the week before finals are technically "rushed", not covered in limited amounts on the final. At least at my school, you are expected to know and master everything regardless if the professor had time to go over it in class. As I said, classes that are heavy in this like Organic Chemistry where we literally went over 2 chapters heavy in mechanisms in the last week and are responsible for knowing everything.

But yes, I understand what you are saying. I just wanted to include my own point that it is unreasonable to expect everyone to be at the "review" stage come time for finals. It is definitely reasonable (and even impossible otherwise for quarter system people) to be covering new material for the first time during finals week.

 

[plumhill]

Very few semester schools end the week before finals week. The majority (that I've seen) have a "chill" week where there are no classes and no exams and people can review for their finals.

Also, I'm not sure how much you experienced the quarter system at your school before the switch, but topics covered the week before finals are technically "rushed", not covered in limited amounts on the final. At least at my school, you are expected to know and master everything regardless if the professor had time to go over it in class. As I said, classes that are heavy in this like Organic Chemistry where we literally went over 2 chapters heavy in mechanisms in the last week and are responsible for knowing everything.

But yes, I understand what you are saying. I just wanted to include my own point that it is unreasonable to expect everyone to be at the "review" stage come time for finals. It is definitely reasonable, and even impossible otherwise, to be covering new material for the first time during finals week.

Fair enough. And wow, I didn't know some schools had a full chill week. We get one reading day 🙁

 

[Fedekz]

Hold up. How do you have 7 exams? You're not taking 7 classes, are you?

7 classes isn't too big of a deal - I'm taking 7 right now (not including labs). Last spring I was taking 14 credits at one school, and 16 at another in my city...

And to everyone saying to get 7+ hours of sleep, Arnold Schwarzenegger only sleeps 6 hours, and recommends if you need 7, 8, or 9 hours of sleep - that you just sleep faster!

 

[Mavs88]

7 classes isn't too big of a deal - I'm taking 7 right now (not including labs). Last spring I was taking 14 credits at one school, and 16 at another in my city...

And to everyone saying to get 7+ hours of sleep, Arnold Schwarzenegger only sleeps 6 hours, and recommends if you need 7, 8, or 9 hours of sleep - that you just sleep faster!

30 credit hours of school at one time? Holy crap, how is that even possible...

 

[nOchemallday]

At this point in the year you should be reviewing material, not figuring it out for the first time, so now isn't the time to spend 3 hours figuring out one concept.

I assume you go to a semester school and not a quarter system school. 😛

Otherwise, I agree with everything you said!

Actually I go to a school that switched from quarters to semesters. I still stand by my comment 🙂

Then you should know that quarter system schools still teach a lot of new material until Friday before the week of finals. Thus, even in your "review of finals", you are still "figuring out the material for the first time", especially in heavy classes like Organic Chemistry, which attempts to cram tons of new mechanisms in the last week.

True, although this happens on semesters, too. I was referring more to concepts taught earlier on in the term; if you don't know it by finals week, your time is better spent elsewhere. Also regarding material taught right before the final, I personally have noticed that those topics are covered only in limited amounts on the final so again, if you don't get it within a couple of days, your time is better spent elsewhere. Of course n=1 here, so your experiences may have been different.

Very few semester schools end the week before finals week. The majority (that I've seen) have a "chill" week where there are no classes and no exams and people can review for their finals.

Also, I'm not sure how much you experienced the quarter system at your school before the switch, but topics covered the week before finals are technically "rushed", not covered in limited amounts on the final. At least at my school, you are expected to know and master everything regardless if the professor had time to go over it in class. As I said, classes that are heavy in this like Organic Chemistry where we literally went over 2 chapters heavy in mechanisms in the last week and are responsible for knowing everything.

But yes, I understand what you are saying. I just wanted to include my own point that it is unreasonable to expect everyone to be at the "review" stage come time for finals. It is definitely reasonable (and even impossible otherwise for quarter system people) to be covering new material for the first time during finals week.

Fair enough. And wow, I didn't know some schools had a full chill week. We get one reading day 🙁

Quarter system here. We get the weekend? does that count as 2 reading days? I've literally never even heard of "reading days." And midterms always last from week 4 - finals week. Literally we had kids in my ingorganic class make up a test on tuesday of finals week and now have our final on friday.

Yea, some of our professors will record lectures and post them online if we didn't finish by the end of the term. Everything from those are also fair game. Which means you have to review new material on your own the weekend before finals week. Although often it's as plumhill suggested, that late material is covered less extensively. There's definitely something to be said about the pace of a quarter system.

 

[ameiauwc]

A cumulative final is best approach by studying in small increments multiple time a day a chapter at a time type pattern and start studying right around now-ish. Rotate between subjects every hour to two, you have a lot of studying to do, and doing so will help you stay engaged. Remain confident, you will make it though.

 

[Aerus]

Quarter system here. We get the weekend? does that count as 2 reading days? I've literally never even heard of "reading days." And midterms always last from week 4 - finals week. Literally we had kids in my ingorganic class make up a test on tuesday of finals week and now have our final on friday.

Yea, some of our professors will record lectures and post them online if we didn't finish by the end of the term. Everything from those are also fair game. Which means you have to review new material on your own the weekend before finals week. Although often it's as plumhill suggested, that late material is covered less extensively. There's definitely something to be said about the pace of a quarter system.

Interesting. At my school midterms start week 2 til finals week. =(

It may vary for classes. I just took my ochem final. Over 95% of the test was definitely stuff tested on the last two weeks of the quarter.

And I agree. Quarter system pace is....broken. You never have a moment to breathe. Although, I love the benefit of being able to take more classes than the semester system, if you're into that kind of thing. =P

 

[hotredlips]

i think most people have covered everything here, but i'd like to add my two cents. 🙂 (plus this is late... but oh well.)

-- definitely be smart about your studying. start studying subjects you are weaker in/have way more material before finals week. it's a simple concept, but i can't tell you how many friends i've had freak out the night before o-chem or other material-heavy and/or difficult class finals. also... study for your earliest exams first. of course, ideally, you should have been studying this material throughout the semester/quarter, but we all know that this is not always possible.
-- take breaks! 🙂 i always made time during finals week for working out/playing the piano/doing some sort of non-study related activity (30 minutes-1 hr). really helped to keep me focused.
-- sleep enough. i know other posters have said that this is not the week for sleep, but i highly disagree. sleep helps to cement whatever material you've learned that day. i always made sure i slept at LEAST 8 hrs the nights before finals. for the nights where i didn't have finals... 4-6 hrs. and if you feel yourself falling asleep? take a powernap (20-30 minutes)! always helped me.

with regards to physics:
-- don't just memorize. try to understand the formulas + the concepts. i aced all of my physics classes with this strategy. also, it helps if you can relate things back to real life.
-- do problems... pretty much a given, but i still think the above is more important.

and after finals? be sure to treat yourself... no matter how you think you did. 🙂 i always tried to do something fun after finals (out to eat with friends, clubbing, etc.).

 

[487806]

Quarter system here. We get the weekend? does that count as 2 reading days? I've literally never even heard of "reading days." And midterms always last from week 4 - finals week. Literally we had kids in my ingorganic class make up a test on tuesday of finals week and now have our final on friday.

Yea, some of our professors will record lectures and post them online if we didn't finish by the end of the term. Everything from those are also fair game. Which means you have to review new material on your own the weekend before finals week. Although often it's as plumhill suggested, that late material is covered less extensively. There's definitely something to be said about the pace of a quarter system.

Interesting. At my school midterms start week 2 til finals week. =(

It may vary for classes. I just took my ochem final. Over 95% of the test was definitely stuff tested on the last two weeks of the quarter.

And I agree. Quarter system pace is....broken. You never have a moment to breathe. Although, I love the benefit of being able to take more classes than the semester system, if you're into that kind of thing. =P

Quarter system here as well. Yes, it's incredibly fast-paced, but I got used to it pretty fast in my freshman year. And yes, I haven't heard of any such thing as a rest week/reading days etc. It seems overwhelming but prioritizing is key... although I can't say I follow true to that statement since I tend to cram frequently...

The positive side is it gives us a nice comfort feeling and the reassurance that we won't drown when we start med school.

 

[Aerus]

Quarter system here as well. Yes, it's incredibly fast-paced, but I got used to it pretty fast in my freshman year. And yes, I haven't heard of any such thing as a rest week/reading days etc. It seems overwhelming but prioritizing is key... although I can't say I follow true to that statement since I tend to cram frequently...

The positive side is it gives us a nice comfort feeling and the reassurance that we won't drown when we start med school.

Agreed. I've long adapted to the pace where the very idea of a "rest week" sounds surreal. Still, it hardly leaves room for you to really chill down. There is no such thing as "after midterms are over", since that's finals week!

 

[Slowpoke]

Make sure to take care of yourself, don't abandon your health. Be sure to treat yourself to delicious meals that put you in a happy place to perk your spirits up during any of your meal breaks. There was this Japanese Market Place near my undergrad that had a food court with all sorts of comforting goodies, I almost always either got the delicious Pork Ramen or Japanese Pork Cutlet with Curry. Yum!

 

[Zelda840]

Do the math to figure out exactly what score you need in each to get the final grade you want, then prioritize your time. For example, I know exactly how many points I need to get A's in each of my classes, and while my Neuroscience class is the most fun and interesting, I know I only need 69 on the final to have an A in that class but I need a 96 to get an A in molecular bio so I'm going to divvy up my time accordingly.

 

[itsthat1guy]

Start studying two weeks in advance, makes finals week substantially less stressful

 

[swolebrah]

Start studying two weeks in advance, makes finals week substantially less stressful

this guy gets it.

*started studying for finals 2 weeks in advance crew*

 

[Dr.Forssmann]

Hey everyone,

So I am a first-semester Pre-Med freshman and I have finals this week and next week. Luckily, I have A's in all my classes right now but finals are worth so much that a bad final could really sink that grade. I have 7 exams to prepare for in the next 10 days and I am a bit stressed to say the least. The people on SDN are such great students that I was hoping I could get a bit of advice from you guys. My toughest exam will definitely be my Physics final. What is the best way to prepare for a Physics final? Any tips on how to survive these next 10 days? How much sleep on average do you get during finals week?
Hope you guys have some tips that I can implement into my life right now! Thanks a ton!

Time management my friend. I use google calendars and sync it with my phone its pretty handy (literally)

 

[knv2u]

Fair enough. And wow, I didn't know some schools had a full chill week. We get one reading day 🙁

Same here.

 

[mk04447]

30 credit hours of school at one time? Holy crap, how is that even possible...

I personally have never taken more than 24 but, I would think this has everything to do with a particular schools scheduling. I've taken three classes that were poorly staggered and felt like the hardest, most hectic schedule ever... Having said that, I've taken seven that seemed like a piece of cake, one class ended and another started close by, very little driving or sitting around, three to four hour blocks of class and the rest of the day to study... Etc.

But as for the question... If you have successfully pulled off seven classes all semester and can report 'A's then I would simply say trust yourself... You have good time management and study skills, just don't let yourself spiral and relish the fact that you will wrap the semester up smoothly because you put in the work earlier, when you should have.