Every student is faced with the difficult task of preparing for finals week at the end of each semester, and it’s made even more stressful when one is uncertain about which study habits will facilitate success.
Hannah Hashimi, Study Partners lead tutor and senior in chemistry, said one of the biggest mistakes students make is to get caught up in the hype of finals week.
“The library is often a fun and exciting place where students come and commiserate with each other rather than studying,” Hashimi said. “It’s all about quality over quantity.”
Hashimi said it’s also a pet peeve of hers when people come to the library for a “marathon social hour” instead of placing their focus on their studies.
“It’s not cool to brag about being in the library for 20 hours straight,” Hashimi said. “What’s better is studying well and then getting some sleep in.”
One of the most important keys to successful finals studying is putting away any distractions, according to Hashimi.
“Your brain can really only focus for about 50 minutes at a time, so plan a five- to 10-minute break every hour to give your brain a rest to store some of the material you just covered,” Hashimi said.
Hashimi said people should get plenty of sleep and not study through your designated break times.
“Also, plan a date night or relaxed night with friends late at night before your final. You shouldn’t be studying then because you won’t learn anything new anyways,” Hashimi said. “This will force you to relax and rejuvenate before your final.”
Hashimi said her last tip is to never go into a final with a bad attitude claiming you are going to fail.
“Research shows that you will perform worse if you think negative thoughts, so don’t show up early to commiserate with friends about how much you don’t know,” Hashimi said. “Show up only five to 10 minutes early with your favorite song playing and think happy thoughts.”
Kaitlyn Eder, Study Partners lead tutor and senior in nursing, has worked for Study Partners for four years now.
“I have seen it all when it comes to effective and not-so-effective study habits,” Eder said. “One thing that I have seen often is that when students come in to be tutored because they have been struggling in a class, they still continue to do what has not been helping them succeed in that class.”
Eder said people should change their study habits if they haven’t been working throughout the semester.
“One of my nursing professors once told my cohort a quote early on in our nursing student careers: ‘Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting the same results,’” Eder said. “If what you have been doing in the past has not been helping you succeed, it is time to change something up.”
Eder said there are little things people can change to help their academic success.
“Whether it is changing where you study, how you study or who you study with, try to make a change in an attempt to yield more successful results,” Eder said. “Most importantly though, we all know that school can be tough, but regardless keep the motivation, stamina, and never give up.”
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