Sergio Guevara
Head of Client Success at Gradehacker
Finals season is probably the most challenging period for any college student. When finals are nearby, all your friends, including you, go completely crazy and start studying all night with non-stopping energy drinks. But do not spread panic! There are very efficient strategies that you can use during your time of preparation for finals so that you can be totally ready to face any challenge and emerge victoriously.
Here at Gradehacker our work consists of helping college students with classwork as well as their finals. In our years of experience assisting students, we have seen how finals provoke a lot of stress. Our clients are always asking us for tips on how to ace college finals.
We know all the secrets, and we have been through all kinds of situations. Thanks to these experiences, we have developed the best study strategies for any desperate student. Don’t worry because, with these tricks, you will be totally ready to ace your finals!
1) Get away from distractions
You are what you eat. And for finals, you will need intelligent snacks and foods. What we eat can change our mood incredibly, and above all, our cognitive ability. Start dipping on that guacamole, because avocados are super-rich on Vitamin K and folate, essential elements to improve your memory, concentration, and energy. Try to avoid, if possible, super processed energy drinks. At the end of the day, these drinks can leave you feeling exhausted, and that will not be beneficial at all during your finals. You can supplant energy drinks with green tea, a natural beverage with caffeine, so you’ll still have a boost of the energy you need.
2) Smart Snacks, Smart Finals
You are what you eat. And for finals, you will need intelligent snacks and foods. What we eat can change our mood incredibly, and above all, our cognitive ability. Start dipping on that guacamole, because avocados are super-rich on Vitamin K and folate, essential elements to improve your memory, concentration, and energy. Try to avoid, if possible, super processed energy drinks. At the end of the day, these drinks can leave you feeling exhausted, and that will not be beneficial at all during your finals. You can replace energy drinks with green tea, a natural beverage with caffeine, so you’ll still have a boost of the energy you need.
3) Don’t do all the work alone
Studying hours and hours can be an overwhelming task, especially if you do everything yourself. Contact your friends who are also desperate to do well in their finals, and put together a super-effective workgroup. You can prepare healthy snacks that can help you feel more energetic, just as you can also do group dynamics that serve to improve the exchange of information. You can do a Q&A, group dynamics, and debates.
4) Get Creative with your Study Strategies
Studying does not imply looking for countless hours at the same information in your textbook. Think outside the box and develop better strategies to study alone or with your friends. You can write flashcards to memorize critical information or equations if you are in a math class. You can also think of acronyms to remember concepts; you can even create an internal song that helps you memorize your study material. It has been proven that the information we receive through a musical medium is much easier to remember than the exact data we see during a class, so you can also apply these strategies in your study method. Additionally, there are also mobile applications that can help you get started with a more creative study process, such as Evernote, Flashcards, and XMind.
Creating your own flashcards is also a great way of getting creative with your study material.
5) Don’t forget to take care of yourself
Many students use the excuse of being super stressed and short of time during finals and forget the importance of personal care. If you don’t feel good about yourself on a physical, emotional, and spiritual level, it is unlikely that you can perform well on your exams. This implies having sleep sessions of at least six or seven hours, eating all meals of the day, including small snacks with fruits and vegetables, and of course, not spending too many hours in a row studying. Also, taking breaks gives your brain a break so it can re-concentrate and retain information. If you push your body and mind too much, your body will take the toll. And on the most essential day of finals, you will feel like a car ran over you. Taking care of yourself is no joke!
6) Complete Practice Exams
Practice testing is a super useful tool. You should design exams and quizzes in order to mimic your finals. You should also employ a time limit, and act as if you are in a monitored environment. In this way, you are training your brain to be conditioned to the format of final exams. Besides, this technique can also help you systematically make faster and more effective decisions during a review, as well as increase your memory and performance.
Believe in Your Capabilities!
Preparing for a situation as complicated as finals is not easy. Still, the most important thing is that you believe in yourself and all the knowledge you have acquired during the semester. Follow all these tips and tricks, and never forget to give yourself a break, so you can achieve the highest productivity and ace your finals like a boss.
We understand the anxiety and stress that finals may bring you. We also understand that it is easy to doubt yourself and your capabilities for your exam. We hope that these tips will change your experience with finals, and allow you to ace them!
If you need extra help with any other type of assignment, feel free to contact The Gradehacker Team. We will be more than willing to help you have more time to concentrate on finals!
If you would like further studying tips, check out our articles on visual, auditory, and tactile learners.
Do you struggle with creating an ideal study environment? Check out our article on 6 Ways to Create an Ideal Study Environment.
Sergio Guevara
Sergio Guevara has been an avid essay writer and researcher for Gradehacker since 2018. He has helped countless non-traditional students with a plethora of subjects like literature, nursing, and history. Now as the head of the Client Success Team he’s constantly involved with SEO-driven content that can make the life of both non-traditional and traditional college students much easier. You can find him on LinkedIn
