Final Exam Study Techniques by Jacob

Final Exam Study Techniques by Jacob - May 2016 Scholarship Essay

Final exams are something every student will take in their academic career. Regardless of how students feel about final exams, the situation is unavoidable. Even though finals are unavoidable, how students prepare for finals doesn’t have to be. Wise advice shared with me by my hockey coach, “I have two choices when I walk into a room. I could try to be the smartest guy in the room or I could be the most prepared. I realized I will never be the smartest.” As a student, I feel there are certain study techniques I previously applied in my past experiences that could help prepare other students for final exams. Some of the study methods are common while others may seem bizarre. Nevertheless, these techniques have worked for me. They will work for other students.
First thing first about preparing for exams are students need to want to perform well with these techniques. No one else is going to study for you, or take the exam for you. Students must apply themselves because anything worth having (like a good grade to boost your score) isn’t worth having unless it is earned. Students should start by studying in the right setting. A quiet room with my phone away from me is the right setting. As a student, possessing the initiative to study is something that has always helped me. Initiative eliminates distractions and procrastination to focus on what really matters.
Quality notes is a study tip that should never be over looked. Notes are good for students because they save time by not having to go back into a textbook. Notes are key points on the subject written down in a notebook during class, note cards, or post it cards. From past experiences, an organized notebook with readable handwriting is what I recommend. An organized notebook means organized thoughts and a recapitulation of the topic in the order it was presented. With poor notes, it could almost be better to avoid confusion and not study at all rather than studying the wrong content. At least by not studying in an organized fashion, the student has a chance to guess on the exam but by studying poor notes students could potentially be studying the wrong material and miss questions on the exam they thought to be right. Personally, I really enjoy creating notecards to prepare for final exams for a list of reasons: One is that notecards can be used in group studying sessions. My study partner and I used to play a game to see how many cards we could get correct in a stack. We would turn it into a competition and make it fun. Away from school something I would do the week of finals is carry a deck of cards in my pocket everywhere I went. When I was out and felt the urge to check my phone while I as in line or waiting on an appointment, I would pull my flashcards out instead and look at a couple just to keep my brain refreshed.
A little bit unorthodox or in better terms a flat out bizarre tip is that the night before a final exam I would sleep with a textbook under my pillow to soak knowledge overnight into my brain. This technique helps keep my mind and brain focused and fresh for when I wake up in the morning. Sleeping with a textbook under my pillow helped me eliminate nervousness and gave me confidence the next morning knowing I can handle anything this exam will throw at me and come out on top because I am prepared in every little way possible. As a student I am not crazy, but when finals come around the corner each semester I will do anything to make sure my mind is prepared and mentally focused.
Overall finals exams are a stressful time for many students. Reducing the student’s stress enhances recall and the ability to apply one’s knowledge. Preparing for exams doesn’t have to be boring! Studying by absorption with a book under the pillow is certainly unconventional and creative. I prefer a comprehensive routine that involves organized note cards, group study (as much as able), and repetition. After the all, the goal is stimulate the ability to recall facts, apply knowledge gained, and increase intelligence.