How to Balance 5 Final Exams
Final exams are getting closer and managing 5 exams requires a careful balance of planning and discipline. Follow along for tips on how to succeed on your finals this exam period!
1. Organize
Staying organized is a practical skill every student should aim to achieve for academic success. While students should strive to stay organized throughout the semester, that may not be realistic as unexpected events may occur.
Students should aim to become organized a couple of weeks prior to the final exam to set themselves up for success. Some sample questions to ask yourself would be “What does each exam cover? Is it cumulative?”
The main purpose is to get an idea of the micro aspects - how much material you need to study for each course and the macro aspects - how much studying is needed for all your courses in total.
2. Prioritize
After gaining an understanding of the material each final exam will cover, the next step is to prioritize your studying. On a piece of paper, create a breakdown for each of your courses: The percentage amount of the final exam contributing to your overall grade and the specific date of when the final exam is written.
Next, determine the final grade you hope to achieve in each of your classes and calculate the minimum mark required in the final exam to reach your target grade. This will provide you with an overview of what to expect, prioritize your studying, and give you the motivation to attain your goals.
3. Study Early
Students should aim to start studying 2-3 weeks prior. This study practice will require dedication as you will study past concepts independently while learning new material in class. As well, studying in advance is designed to combat procrastination.
Studying early will give you a head start while providing room for procrastination and not significantly hurting your studies. The luxury of taking a breather for a couple of days would not be feasible if you started studying 5 days before the exam.
4. Set a Timeline
Outline specific goals you want to achieve by the end of the day or week. Unmet goals would subsequently carry over to the next timeline. As well, the difference between a timeline and schedule should be noted.
Creating a study schedule is a rigid approach that lays out the duration of when each specific task should be accomplished. In contrast, setting a timeline creates a more flexible approach as you are able to set goals that you want to achieve today, without the time restrictions.
Completing one task on your list will provide you motivation to continue to cross off subsequent tasks.
5. Hold Yourself Accountable
In order to stick to your timeline, you need to hold yourself accountable. The most effective way to stick to your plan is to write everything down. This will allow you to visually see your goals, and focus on achieving them, one by one.
You could write down your goals on sticky notes so that you are always reminded and driven to complete them. If you have a pile of sticky notes that have not been completed, you will then be even more motivated to finish your tasks.
Writing 5 final exams is tough. However, by having sufficient time to organize and prepare for your exams early, you will have a greater chance to reach your academic goals and strive for academic success!
Liked these tips? Follow us on Instagram @wizeprep for more tips on how to best #studywize, and make sure to check out the Wizeprep Study Pass subscription for notes, mini videos, and other resources to help you get your best grades yet.
Struggling to balance life as a student? Check out this video about the 5 best apps to help you stay organized!
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