Student-Tested Study Tips
Left: Abbi Kneuss ‘23, Right: Chenoa Baker 21
Finals week is looking a little different this year. Last-minute cramming sessions with friends are over Zoom and we’re still looking for a substitute for beloved late-night Café Rachel runs. Despite changes in traditions, there are still plenty of ways to ensure you ace your finals. Join students Abbi Kneuss ‘23 and Chenoa Baker ‘21 as they go through their tried-and-true study methods to help you have your best finals week yet.
Abbi’s Top 5 Study Tips
Set quantifiable goals
Quantifiable goals help you gauge where you’re actually at with studying, and they act as a concrete benchmark to try and achieve. I like to set alarms for how long I want to study or set goals to memorize a certain percentage of my notecards.
Make Quizlet your best friend
I love the “Learn” feature. It continuously quizzes you with your notecards until you’ve mastered them all and will help you pick out which terms you’re struggling with the most. Or you can use the “Test” feature to create a short test for yourself to practice what you’ll be experiencing when exam time comes.
Put your phone out of sight and mind
It goes without saying, that phones are extremely distracting when it comes to finals week. I put my phone in another room when I really need to get something done or I’m studying. That way, I can’t even hear notifications to be distracted by.
Incentivize yourself
Promise yourself rewards if you work for them. For every 10 minutes spent studying, I give myself 10 minutes of Netflix later. Or if it’s a particularly hard exam, I promise myself a gift if I ace it.
Read the speaker notes
Most professors upload their PowerPoints with their notes to themselves in the speaker notes section. Download the PowerPoint from Brightspace to your PowerPoint app and read through the speaker notes. You might find something you may have missed during lecture or some extra helpful insights on the toughest concepts.
Chenoa’s Top 5 Study Tips
Use dictation
A study method that helps me is to dictate my notes. Since I am a combination learner, it activates the visual, auditory, and kinesthetic ways that my brain works. First, I rewrite and clarify my notes. Then, I read aloud my notes into a recorder. After that, I listen to it on the bus, in between classes, and when doing house chores.
Have tea and snack time
When it is paper time, this is my go-to. I get a cup of tea that has as much caffeine as coffee but it is a healthier choice. Then, I plan out certain times in the day to work on essays and pair that with my studying music. It is important to remember to make healthy choices during exam time like having snack breaks and sleeping before 12:00 am. I strictly follow this to ensure that I honor my brain for its high activity levels and make sure that the conditions are right to do well on exams.
Try Cornell-style notes
When I need to remember terms for a science class or art history class, I write my the term on one side of the paper and the definition on the other side. Once, I fold the paper, I quiz myself on the terms and definitions.
When in doubt, YouTube it!
I swear by this method—in true Gen Z style. This helps with formulas for math, science, and overall concept-based learning. It is nice to see how different people on the web organize their work and enact the formula that I am trying to master.
Make your notes fun
The more fun and effort you invest in taking good notes, the easier it will be to study. I often use an outline format to follow the important points, add arrows and speech bubbles, and include illustrations. Have fun with stickers, different colors, and doodles--it will pay off in the end.
Keep hitting the books (or MacBooks) Cougars! Create a study plan that works best for you and go into finals week ready to show off what you’ve learned this semester. And if you need extra help, reach out to the Office of Academic and Accessibility Resources!