Anisa Jibrell – News Writer
As finals week approaches and anxiety sets in, students begin to bury their heads in textbooks and write until they can’t write anymore. For some, test taking is a breeze and for others taking an exam can feel like attending a funeral. Students share studying tips, how they budget their time to finish the semester strong.
Depending on the course, junior French major, Robin Stanley, tailors her studying process accordingly. For example, for Biology she reads through her PowerPoint slides, takes notes, and makes flashcards. She goes through the flashcards until she remembers all the content which she said normally takes three to four rounds.
Whereas for a math course, she focuses on repetition and goes through practice problems over, and over again until she understands the formula. But out of all her classes she admits that French is the toughest to study for.
“If you miss something during the semester it’s hard to catch up,” said Stanley, “like if you miss how to do a verb tense back a few weeks ago and you have to do it on the final it’s hard to just go through a textbook and learn it. If you can’t understand what you’re reading how are you supposed to study?”
Stanley said she usually starts studying two to three days beforehand and studies during the day and at work, sometimes at night but said she’d never pull an all-nighter.
“I’d rather take a bad grade than lose sleep,” said Stanley.
Christina Adams, junior, recommends figuring out where you stand before studying for your finals.
“I always figure out my grades before exams so I know which final needs more attention,” said Adams. “I know I should be trying my best on all of them but it’s just to give myself peace of mind.”
Adams said she takes advantage of review sessions and office hours if necessary. Depending on the test, Adams starts studying 1-2 weeks before the exam date.
“As soon as I find out I have a test coming up I make flashcards, [there’s] no point in waiting until the day before and stressing myself out,” said Adams
According to university research in France, published in Learning and Individual Differences,” students who listened to a one-hour lecture where classical music was played in the background scored significantly higher in a quiz on the lecture when compared to a similar group of students who heard the lecture with no music.”
Researchers considered that “music put students in a heightened emotional state, making them more receptive to information.”
Other tips to reducing stress during exam week include staying organized, making lists, exercising, or taking time out of your hectic studying schedule to do something fun and stay afloat.
Senior recreation and leisure major, Erin Roccapriore takes a simpler approach.
“I usually just go through my notes until I’ve memorized everything,” said Roccapriore. “I don’t have a specific way to study, it varies from subject to subject.”
Roccapriore said the hardest courses to study for are her recreation and leisure courses because she feels she doesn’t know what to study for.
“Sometimes I don’t know what to expect on those tests so it’s hard to prepare myself,” said Roccapriore. “So I just hope for the best.”
Photo Credit: Christopher Rodriguez
