With final exams just around the corner, nothing is more stressful than a week full of tests and like most college students you might be wondering how on Earth are you going to get all that studying done? PANIC!
Gotcha!
Now that I have your attention let’s get down to business. In all honesty, nothing is worse than the vast array of final exams, especially for college freshman, or any student for that matter. What is worse is actually understanding the final exam schedule and how to study. So, I’ve come up with a few simple steps as a suggestion to get you going.
Step 1. Look at final exam schedule posted on the campus website or your Blackboard account and find the times your classes meet. Cross-reference that information with your syllabus. Now block those times out on your calendar writing in the class name and FINAL EXAM, in red preferably, or your exam color.
Step 2. Find out what kind of exam you will be taking. In many cases your exams will be traditional tests covering the entire semester, or covering the material from the mid-term to the end of the semester and is either written, multiple choice, or a combination of both and taken in the classroom. In other cases you may have a take-home final, a presentation, or a paper to turn in either physically or online, or, if you’re lucky, no an exam at all.
Write on your calendar the specific type of exams and what they will cover. Mark your calendar for the take-home exam with the exact day and time it is due and when presentations and papers are due. Add in reminders. Add in reminders. Add in reminders. (That is not a typo. Add in reminders from your midterm day forward.) If the professor gives an option of keeping the grade you already earned with no final required, ponder the option and do what you think is best for you. Personally, I took the grade and RAN, especially if it was a B or an A and the test could potentially bring the grade down. But, that option is entirely up to you.
Step 3. Figure out which assignment is going to take longer to prepare. Keep in mind take home-tests are not necessarily easier. Professors expect that the information is spot on and answers is written thoughtfully and grammatically correct. Take-home exams are normally given at the last class meeting of the semester and are due at the time the professor states, or during the scheduled final exam time by either placing the test in the professor’s box or turning it in at her office or submitting it online. Read the instructions on the exam.
If you’re not new to the college scene, or you had a rough first few semesters, or quarters, don’t bundle your nerves. Simply reorganize for next semester/quarter and start fresh. Being a college student is like a diet, it’s a work in progress that keeps changing with new information.
Stay focused and organized, because in all honesty there is no real need to PANIC!
