The Ultimate
Guide
to Studying
for Finals
Based on Science and Experience
Getting Ready to Study
Preparation and time management are the key to
successful study sessions.
GOOD
NEWS!
Studies show that your academic fate is in your hands! Doing well
isn’t so much about your “fixed” intelligence (like your IQ); it’s
about working hard, seeking help, and using effective strategies.
Prepare a study schedule. Give yourself at least two weeks. Prioritize
giving more time to the subjects you struggle with. Create a calendar
that allows for blocks of time to study different subjects.
Set specific goals for each study session to help you stay
focused and on-task.
Know what is going to be on the test! Ask your teacher what format it
will be (essays, multiple choice, true or false, etc.). Ask what
resources you should use to study, such as notes, study guides,
presentations, diagrams, resources on the Moodle, etc.
Ask if notes or notecards can be used during the test. If they
can, make sure you create great ones!
Before studying, gather all of your materials including old tests, old
homework assignments, study guides, notebooks, printed computer
notes, a friend’s notes (if you didn’t take good notes), etc.
Create an Effective Study Environment
Where you study is almost as important as what
you study.
Use a program or app to block distracting sites for a set period of time.
Check out “Cold Turkey,” “Self Control,” or Google search on apps that
block social media for studying. This is tough to do, but it’s worth it!
Listening to music while studying stops your brain from fully
concentrating. You might feel like you’re getting a lot done by multitasking, but research shows that distractions while studying greatly reduce
accurate recall. It’s true... science says so!
Set a timer and get serious about studying for 25 minutes. Give yourself a
5 minute break after each 25 minutes of hard-core studying. This is
known as the Pomodoro technique and it works!
Set goals and reward yourself! Rewards can be anything from gummy
bears, listening to a favorite song, checking your social media... whatever.
Rewarding yourself can help you perform better. No cheating, though!
Bright lights increase learning and ward off depression. Studying
outside on a sunny afternoon is a great idea, if it is quiet.
Chewing gum and drinking water boosts your mental performance
while studying and testing.
Keep your study space organized and clutter free. Your brain will more
easily organize all of the information you are putting in it.
Changing up where you study increases your information retention.
As long as it’s distraction free, find different spots to study. Try a coffee shop,
a quiet park, a clean room, a backyard, a zoo... wherever!
Plan on studying different kinds of information in a single study
session. This leads to your brain retaining information better, because it
subconsciously finds deeper patterns among the varied material.
24 Studying Strategies
Not all of these strategies will work for you. Try them out,
choose the ones that fit your style, and get studying!
1
Your memory has “finite bandwidth.”
Psychologist George Miller found that
we can best use our brain by
“chunking” information into seven
bundles. Study your material by first
separating it into seven different
“chunks,” such as formulas, characters,
vocabulary, leaders, diagrams, etc.
2
Before beginning to study, write down
everything you know about the topic.
Check back with your resources and see
what you got right and what you missed.
“Everything” could include vocabulary
words and their definitions, formulas,
names, dates, examples, the steps to take to
solve something, or anything else you
know about the subject.
3
Pretend you are taking great notes for
someone else. Research shows that
handwriting notes while studying
leaves a longer-lasting impression on
your brain than typing or not writing
anything.
4
Find a study partner or group... ONLY if
you can stay focused and help each other
learn. Groups sometimes work best as
review once you’ve completed your own
study sessions.
5
Draw a web of thoughts or a mental
map... anything that will collect and
connect your thoughts about a topic.
Mind maps imitate the way your brain
thinks and will make remembering it
easier.
6
Come up with a color-coding system and
take notes using different colored pens or
pencils. This will fire up your visual
memory, and make studying a little more
fun.
7
Try an on-line interactive flashcard
site like Quizlet.
8
Read aloud! Listening to yourself while
reading can help you comprehend
information you might miss by silently
studying.
9
10
Your brain remembers emotional
events better. If you can associate an
emotion like love, anger, frustration,
or excitement with a topic, you will
remember it better come test time.
12
Physical exercise improves learning
ability by growing new neurons. Think
about studying on a treadmill or while
doing sit ups!
Take practice tests after a study
session. Testing not only assesses
knowledge, it also trains your brain
to get the information from your
memory. A study showed that
students who studied once and took
a practice test did better than
students who studied twice. Use
your resources to create practice
tests.
14
If your eyes start to glaze over and
you can’t stay focused, don’t give up!
Flip the paper, and read the
information aloud and upside down.
You’ll be awake and refocused in no
time!
Get away from boring old notebook
paper that your brain is used to
seeing! Use colorful sticky notes,
index cards, poster boards, white
boards, or just about anything else
you can write or draw on.
16
Create summary sheets for each
class. If you didn’t get a study guide,
make your own!
Get creative! Draw pictures, mind
maps, tables, make up songs, create
word sequences, write poems, make
mnemonic devices (easy “tricks” to
remember something).
11
When you teach someone else a
concept, you remember it better. So,
teach a class to all of your stuffed
animals, your family members, or
friends from your study group.
You’re not just helping your brain,
you’re having fun!
13
15
17
Hide... write... compare! After you
study a concept, hide the
information, write down everything
you remember, and then compare it
to your resources. Spend some extra
time on what you missed.
19
Turn the material you are trying to
learn into a memorable story. Your
brain works by making connections.
If you can visualize the story in your
head, it will help you to remember
the important information.
21
Instead of focusing on individual
facts, make connections between
concepts to help your brain retain
information longer.
23
Predict questions that might be
on the final by looking at your old
tests and assignments and thinking
about what your teachers spent a
lot of time talking about.
18
Activate as many of your five
senses as possible while studying.
The more you activate, the longer
the information will stay with you.
20
22
24
Repetition is key! Read it silently,
read it aloud, write it, sing it, draw
it, over and over and over again.
When you struggle to remember
information, it lodges deeper in your
mind. So, don’t stop when it gets
tough. Keep pushing your brain to
recall the information.
Overlearn the material. When
you think you are finished, keep
going! There is no such thing as
being too prepared.
It’s Finals Time
All your hard work is about to pay off!
Within 12-24 hours of the test, it’s
time to stop studying. You will
most likely confuse yourself or
stress yourself out if you keep
going.
Sleep deprivation increases the
activity of an enzyme in your brain
that messes up your memory. So,
get a good night’s sleep before
finals.
A study revealed that students who
ate a high-fat and low-carb diet
before a test performed poorly.
Students who ate a balanced,
nutritious diet performed better.
Eat well while studying and during
finals.
Use every minute provided to take
the final. Check your answers...
recheck them... proofread...
revise... revise again... There are
never bonus points for finishing
first!
Remember, working hard and being well-prepared is a
great way to cut down on test anxiety. There is no such
thing as over-preparing for your finals! Make a plan, find
the strategies that work best for you, put in the time and
effort, and be ready to do great on your finals!