13 Study Tips to ACE your Final Exams

Are your semester exams right around the corner? Do you find yourself constantly stressed? If yes, then there's no better time than now to begin preparing for them to save yourself and to leave the anxiety apart.

Instead of starting the night before, you must regularly prepare a study plan and record your performance to adequately prepare for the exams.

To help you with this, we listed 13 simple steps that you can follow to ace your exams with flying colors!

1. Organize the area where you will be studying

Begin by checking whether you have adequate room to spread out your books and papers. See if you have sufficient light and if your seat is a good fit for your back as you would have to pull many long hours.

Additionally, make sure all your mobile phone and video games are hidden away to avoid any distractions. These steps may seem very boring but they make all the difference by helping you concentrate better.

To focus, some of us need everything to be clear and in order, whereas others can flourish in a messier setup. Consider what works best for you and devote the time to organize accordingly.

2. Examine your syllabus

Finding out precisely what you're required to know is the simplest method to study for an exam. So, begin by discussing with your lecturer or instructor as they would be able to guide you correctly.

Understanding the type of exam you'll be taking and the types of questions that will be asked will also help you plan better and smoother. You can concentrate entirely on that subject or technical skill if you understand what you'll be assessed on. Most often students end up studying anything and everything and hence tend to go wrong.

3. Make a study schedule and stick to it

A five-day study schedule is usually the most effective. Although you won’t hear this often, learning too soon too can be unproductive as you may tend to forget. On the other hand, learning too late also results in poor recollection.

One factor to bear in mind is that completing 10 different chapters within one marathon session will only provide you with a partial understanding of the topic.

To study for many examinations, it is generally a good idea to divide your day. Cover one topic for a while; take a short break and then switch subjects to avoid things from getting monotonous.

Plan breaks of appropriate durations to relax as well as ensure that you stay on track. Learning sessions should last not more than 45 minutes per topic, with a 10-minute break in between. If the examination is 35% comprehensive (35% old content and 65% new stuff), then devote 35% of your attention to the old material and 65% to the fresh one. Remember you must study smart, not hard

4. Work with a positive outlook and a specific goal in mind

To obtain the most out of your study hours, you must approach semester examinations with a clear and optimistic mindset. Rather than seeing examinations and studying as monotonous, shift your perspective from "This is just so dull!" to "I understand my stuff!"

Moreover, make the most of your study hours by consciously attempting to comprehend, rather than memorizing the information. Write down any materials that can assist you in studying the content and highlight significant areas in your book and notes.

While memorization is occasionally necessary, verifying that you thoroughly understand the content is a proven technique for success.

5. Don't keep any new syllabus to be covered for the night before your examination

In the hours running up for final examinations, new students hear scary anecdotes from seniors about all-night preparation efforts, otherwise known as completing.

All-night studying, having far too much coffee, will lead to a foggy memory which is not ideal for a semester examination. If at all possible, resist these last-minute preparation methods.

Procrastinating, or deferring your preparation until the last day, can often result in low grades. Therefore, planning is critical for you to ace your exams. It will leave you with a much stronger footing on the day of your exam.

6. Make use of flowcharts and infographics

When revising, graphs and charts can be beneficial. Push yourself to note down what you already understand about the subject at the outset of the study session, and then emphasize where the gaps are.

Consolidate your study materials into one-page graphics as the exam approaches. After you've written down your concepts in this concise format, you'll be able to swiftly recollect during the exam.

7. Plan group study sessions

Establishing study groups proves to be quite valuable and makes learning fun when preparing for examinations. It also informs you on topics that you may not have known otherwise. Additionally, it helps encourage strong study habits, improves teamwork, and promotes confidence. Group studies will also help in campus placements.

Find a buddy with whom you can swap notes. This will help you significantly and you’ll be able to collaborate, study together, assist, and push one another to do much better.

8. Try playing with words

Splitting the content into small chunks and using abbreviations, idioms, rhymes, or analogies to remember topics can be a helpful method. No matter how ridiculous it may seem, this strategy can enable you to memorize crucial information for your examinations.

To provide other learners with innovative and surprising study strategies, share your handy abbreviations and phrases with your study group.

9. Teach your friends to revise a concept better

Explaining topics to a friend is an excellent approach to ensuring that you understood the subject while also assisting them in learning better. This is because one tends to grasp the material well when having to interpret it for others. It forces them to develop new methods to communicate an idea that helps them retain and understand the topic better themselves.

10. Learn, revise & repeat

The closest you'll get to a real exam setting is by practicing mock test papers and writing practice essays. This is important as exam papers from the past can help you predict the kinds of questions you'll see on the day of the exam. Additionally, they will also help you practice how to answer all your questions in the given time frame.

Therefore, check with your professor to see if they have any previous exam papers, or go to the library. If none are accessible, consider writing your own using your books as a guide or have a friend do yours while you make one for them.

It's critical to simulate exam practice by taking practice exams and writing essays. Ensure you adhere to the time constraint, minimize distractions, and don't peek at your textbook.

When you've finished the practice test, ask your teacher if they can grade it or give you suggestions.

11. Follow a healthy diet and drink sufficient water

You might think you earned a reward or that you don't have enough time for cooking, but what you consume has a significant impact on your productivity levels and concentration. So, avoid junk food as much as you can.

Choose nutritious brain foods which enhance attention and cognition, such as fish, almonds, seeds, yogurt, and berries, to ensure that both your body and brain are well-fuelled. On examination day, eat a good supper which includes items that provide a steady energy release throughout the examination. Sugar may taste good, but your energy levels will deplete within an hour.

Additionally, staying hydrated is essential for your mind to function well. Make sure you drink enough water during your preparation as well as on your examination day.

12. Don't forget to look after yourself

Final examinations and everyday activities can be stressful; therefore, you must continue to look after yourself and your physical and mental health.

While you may believe that studying for as many hours as possible is the greatest strategy, this can ultimately be a deciding factor.

Since everyone is unique, choose a study schedule that suits you and don’t go by what others are doing. Begin early morning before taking a break for lunch if you learn best in the mornings. Or take an extended break earlier in the day if you're more active at night.

Make sure you also spend enough time outside and are not constantly huddled over your books. Remember vitamin D is essential for managing stress and for a healthily functioning brain.

Quick checklist for semester exams

All of us love checklists and enjoy crossing off various things to do from our list. Keeping this in mind we list out different checklists for the days leading up to your exam to when you finally sit down to take it. Consider them carefully to ace your exams!

During the days leading up to your examinations

Exam timetables should be checked to ensure that you appear for the exam on the correct day and time.
Make a study/revision schedule.
Every aspect of the course should be reviewed.
Please make a list of the most important points and write a summary of them.
Consider several ways to deliver the answer, such as a chart or a presentation.
Learn more about the examination- time limit, type of questions, choices, and so on
Purchase backup stationery items.
Eat healthily and get sufficient and quality sleep.
Don't be stressed, keep calm.

The night before the exam

Avoid doing a lot of revision for you would know all your content well by now. Revising too much will only make you stress yourself.
Relax as much as possible
Prepare all the items for the following day, including equipment, clothing, and so on
Have a restful night's sleep

Examination day

Prepare for the day ahead of time and avoid being late.
Apart from having an eye at summaries of significant topics, do not revise.
Ensure your watch is in decent condition and eat a nutritious breakfast.

During the exam

Make sure the examination paper you've been handed is the correct one.
Fill in your name and other personal information on the answer sheet.
Review all the questions and, if there are any choices, tick the ones you feel you would answer.
Avoid using whiteners and instead use a single line to cross out all errors. This will also help save time.
Throughout the examination, keep an eye on the clock .
Verify that you have completed all the questions.
Leave sufficient time to go through all of your responses.

Wrapping up

Studying can be difficult, especially if you're stressed, tired, or don't know how to study. The tips listed above will help you make the most of your study time and you'll be able to study more and feel less stressed about your exams.