Exam week is just around the corner , and unless you want to struggle with sleepless nights and needless cramming, you’ll need a great game plan on how you’re going to ace those exams.

We’ve prepared top pro exam tips for you straight from experienced university students.

Starting with the first day of classes, managing your time, learning and studying effectively, and avoiding procrastination can go a long way when preparing to ace your final exams.

Don't cram

Don’t stay up all night to study. It's better to just review the things you’ve already learned and get to bed early. That way you have enough energy to do your exam with an alert mind.

If you’d like to get ready for the exam the night before keep it simple and sweet:

• Prepare all your materials

• Go over your notes thoroughly

• Try out the exam concepts

• Get an alarm ready

Review your notes on a regular basis.

When reviewing your lecture notes, it’s extremely beneficial to review the corresponding chapters in your textbook as well. Highlight or emphasize what is mentioned in both the class notes and the textbook. Using both the notes and the textbook will help you to gain a better understanding of the topics.

Find a good time and place to study.

Everyone functions different, but looking for a good time and place to study for your final exam that is free of distractions is very important. Creating a study schedule may be extremely beneficial as well.

 Although typical studying for final exams can be overwhelming and stressful, it doesn’t have to be. Managing your time and planning out how to effectively study in ways that work best for you can and go a long way, and will eventually show through come time to take (and conquer) your finals exams.

Find out about the exam

Know your enemy – find out as much as you can about the exam. Questions to look for or inquire include:

• How much is the exam worth to your overall mark in the subject?

• What kind of exam is it (for example, multiple choice, essay, open book, take-home)?

• Will there be a n array of questions or tasks?

• How much will each question or task be worth?

Identify as many details about the final exam as you can.

The syllabus is a key factor in this. At the beginning of the semester it’s important to know whether or not the final exam will be cumulative. Also, the exam’s worth, length, content topics, and format are important to know when deciding what and how to study for the final exam.

And you’re pretty much set, just remember to do your best and to be prepared, preparedness is paramount. Remember – these tips are only some of the things that you can do to get the most out of your exams. There might be other things that work even better for you.

Ask around – find out what your friends do for their exams – maybe some of their tricks will work for you as well.

Blog Written by: Jeger Salazar

Sources:

http://www.learningcommons.uoguelph.ca/guides/university_learning/accessibility/studying.html