Fall 2017 final exams take place Friday, December 8 and Monday, December 11 – Wednesday, December 13. Whether it’s your student’s first semester of finals or their last, we know it can be a stressful part of the year. Here are a few tips to help your student prepare:
A moderate level of stress before and during an exam is useful, as it helps a student perform at their peak. Too much stress, or test anxiety, can keep a student from being able to focus on the task at hand. If your student is feeling overwhelmed by upcoming final exams, encourage them to keep in mind these tips for overcoming test anxiety:
Before the Exam:
- Manage your time well: get plenty of sleep, find time to exercise or be active, and schedule time to study.
- Focus on healthy behaviors: eat regular meals, drink water and other non-alcoholic beverages, choose healthy snacks (excessive sugar can make you drowsy), limit caffeine – it increases anxiety.
- Study in places with minimal distractions.
- Condense notes into manageable study tools. Creating flashcards, vocabulary lists, or quick study guides are effective techniques for mastering a semester’s worth of notes.
During the Exam:
- When you are taking a test, keep positive thoughts in your mind (yes, you can!)
- Read all directions thoroughly.
- Read all questions carefully.
- Feel free to simply stop for a minute, take a deep breath, and then continue working.
The Academic Success Center also offers several resources in advance of finals and throughout the semester to help students prepare for exams.
Tutor Hubs offer free drop-in tutoring for popular core curriculum courses in a number of subjects. Tutors are available Sunday through Thursday, 5 to 9 p.m., on a first-come, first-served basis. Subjects includeAccounting, Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Economics, Engineering, History, Math, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, and Statistics.
Tutor Hubs are available in the following locations:
- Evans Library, 1st Floor (outside the Poetry Circle area)
- Hullabaloo Hall, Room 105
- White Creek Apartments, Building 1590A Activity Center
- The Commons, Room 110 A&N
- Engineering Activities Building C (EABC), Room 107
A full schedule of tutoring times and locations arranged by subject is available here.
The Academic Success Center will also offer Finals Preparation workshops in advance of final exams. On November 29, two 50-minute workshops will give advice on prioritizing study tasks and using the 5 Day Study Plan to prepare for finals. Students can learn more and register here.
Finally, StudyHUB provides students searchable access to a variety of academic resources available on campus and online. Students can search for academic support resources by subject area, the type of academic support needed, and location on campus. Organizational strategies and study aids are also available on the StudyHUB website.