Exam Prep

The season of exams and finals are in full swing! Thursday and Friday are 3 of my 4 finals and I am thrilled to be finishing up my classes and begin summer and head to Paris and London. I feel like I have been unable to focus on anything but school as of late. I have created posts before discussing study tips and stress free study breaks but a lot of the stress of exams comes with preparation. By organizing out what I have to accomplish I can enter my exams confident that I've adequately prepared myself for success!

Here are some of my best exam prep tips and realizations!

Study guides from past tests are your friends.
If you are anything like me then before tests in every subject I always make study guides and outlines and notecards. While some people may not need to take as much time preparing as I do I know come exams I am glad to have taken that time to prepare then since the same guides can highlight what I need to go over before exams. Read back through, highlight, and take condensed notes when preparing for cumulative exams.

Plan out your study days to be most productive.

A little bit each day can really add up so start studying early! I love schedules so it is extremely beneficial for me to block out times to study since I know I will follow it. This also ensures that I can focus on a variety of subjects instead of focusing on only one leaving me scattered and unprepared for a different subject. 

Ask questions to your professors and students who have previously taken the course.
Professors are the ones making your exams so they are the best person to ask when it comes to any questions regarding your exam and subject matter. If you are curious about what to expect and they aren't receptive then try to ask someone who has already taken the class what they thought was most important from it.

Take time to organize the content you have to know.
Organization upfront will allow less stress when it comes to actually studying. Take your time compiling and learning about the content you know will be on the exam in order to ensure that you don't forget to look over anything.

Make a quizlet.

I used to always make paper flash cards but since being in college I pretty mush solely rely on quiz lets for my quizzing needs. These are essentially online flash cards that test you on the material you must know in different ways. Also, there is an app so that you can study on the go!

Stay on top of the work you've planned for yourself.
If you've scheduled out what you need to do then do your absolute best to stick to that schedule. Falling behind may leave you a bit more stressed, the last thing you need when it comes to exam time. 

Keep your space organized. 

I know I have said this in other posts but I can not focus if my space is messy. Spend a few minutes prior to studying to tidy up your area and remove distractions this way the time put into studying is focused.

Listen to calming music. 

I feel more productive when I am listening to classical music or other music without words. Spotify has tons of different playlists under their focus genre that are perfect for this!

Get enough sleep leading into exam week. 

I wish I followed this tip better. Getting enough sleep when I have loads of work left to do is never a priority. Do your very best to go to bed early that way you can wake up early and start being productive sooner.

Know that you are more than your gpa.
A reminder everyone needs to hear every once in a while. School may seem like everything now but later on how you did on a certain test during one semester isn't going to matter much. At this point, put in your very best effort and know that you have done all you can no matter the outcome.