Studying until midnight, stressing about grades, and waiting for break to come are just a few of the feelings many experience during finals week. In-person final exams will be held Dec. 14 through 18 to close out the fall semester. While these tips may not help this semester, they are always useful for students.  

The extra studying that comes with finals can overwhelm some students.  Depending on the class, finals can increase or drop a student’s overall grade. Finals will be weighted differently from past years. 

“Finals are stressful because it is a lot to deal with added to your normal schoolwork. Also, finals are a big part of your grade, so there is a chance that you could mess up everything that you worked for this whole semester if you get a bad grade,” Cooper Gilreath, freshman, said.  

While finals can cause a lot of stress, there are ways to prepare. One study strategy is to rewrite past notes.   

 “Students who are writing on a keyboard are less likely to remember and do well on the content than if writing it by hand,” Dr. Dinehart, University of Texas professor, said in an article published by the university.

Whether taking notes by hand in class or during review time, this technique can be helpful for increasing the kinesthetic aspect of learning.  

“I think that anytime you can go back over your notes and review them will help a lot. I would even suggest rewriting them to make sure that you are really retaining the information,” Smith said. 

Another way to prepare is to find an environment to study in that works for one’s individual needs. Everyone thinks differently and needs a different setting to study in. Changing the amount of noise, light, and activity surrounding a workspace can improve learning. For instance, those who are easily distracted by noise might be able to study better in an isolated room than in a shared space. In addition, listening to certain music can help increase focus. 

“Research shows that listening to classical music and reinventing the study environment helps you be very successful,” Smith said.  

While these things may help, students need to make sure to start studying early for maximum learning.  

“I find it easiest to spread out my studying over a few days, that way it doesn’t stress me out,” Libby Reach, junior, said.  

Finals are here, so be sure to sharpen some pencils and get started studying.