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Crush Your Final Exams

Final exam season is upon us.  Here are some techniques to embrace both prior to and during the actual exam:

  1. If your teacher offers exam prep sessions, be sure to attend them.  At the very least, you're likely to learn about the format of the exam or the topics that the teacher wants to emphasize during the test.  Moreover, you may even get a flavor for the specific questions that will be asked.
  2. Try to get some practice exams from previous years.  Again, you'll see the types of questions that are likely to be asked, and it's often the case that teachers will recycle questions from prior years.
  3. Develop a study schedule that is steady and well-paced, but don't be afraid to do some last minute cramming.  Cramming is not great for long-term comprehension, but short-term regurgitation is more important in the case of final exams.
  4. That said, don't overdo the cramming.  Get a good night's sleep, so your mind works well on the day of the exam.
  5. Eat a decent breakfast and drink juice or water before the exam.  Your body will need fuel to carry you through the exam.  Also, if you are allowed some food and drink during the exam, be sure to bring a light snack and some water.
  6. At the start of the actual exam, do a quick scan through the entire thing.  That way, you'll get a feel for the length and format, so you can be sure to pace yourself well.
  7. Embrace a mentality of speed and accuracy.  Don't go so fast that you make stupid mistakes.  Yet, don't spend so much time on any one question, only to find that you don't finish in time.
  8. Take all the time you're given.  If you finish early, take the remaining time to double-check your work, rather than leaving early only to find that you didn't catch your stupid mistakes.
Good luck!  Prepare yourself well, and kick off the start to summer vacation with some great exam scores!
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