Five Ways to Ace Your Virtual Exams
Finals week is looking a little different this year. If you’re missing those last minute study sessions with your friends on the quad or those late night pizza runs, we’ve got you! We’ve compiled a list of five things you can do to ace virtual finals week. Check it out below!
Create your space
When you’re taking an exam in the classroom your space is structured for learning. While learning from home, you lose this structure, so it’s important to set aside a section of your home for studying. A desk with some candles and natural sunlight can go a long way in helping you focus. Additionally, you can add a pop of color to increase your productivity! Red will increase your awareness, green will enhance your stability and endurance, and light blue will promote relaxation and calmness.
Utilize your resources
Chatham is offering tons of great online resources to help students out in this time of flux:
-You can chat with a librarian from the JKM Library for help with accessing studying resources. They also have a series of great studying playlists available on Spotify (our personal favorite is Chatham Student Study Playlist vol. 2).
-Counseling Services launched TalkCampus this past month. This is an online, anonymous support community that will allow you to interact with peers, trained volunteers, and professional staff. TalkCampus is available 24/7 and can be used to chat with others about everything from procrastinating to COVID-19 to mental health challenges.
Veg out!
Did you know that lots of vegetables aren’t just good for your body but also for your mind? Kale, broccoli, and avocados are all great foods for brain health. Try some avocado toast or kale chips as a helpful studying snack! Coffee (although not a vegetable) is also great for brainpower. We were missing Café Rachel, so we found this recipe for the perfect homemade iced vanilla latte, our favorite studying drink.
Take your time
During virtual exams timing is crucial. Make sure you know ahead of time how long you have for the exam and when you have to take it. Set alarms on your laptop at 30 minute intervals so you know how much time you have left in the exam. Beforehand, set aside ample time for studying. A good rule of thumb is to multiply the credit hours of the course by two to find out how many hours you should study for the final. This means you should spend about six hours studying for the average three credit hour class.
Phone a friend
Call on a study buddy! Hop on a Zoom call with someone from your class and quiz one another. Your Chatham email allows you to have unlimited one-on-one Zoom calls! You can also make a collaborative virtual notecard set to help both of you out.
Even though you can’t be on-campus to take your finals this semester, you can still excel in the virtual classroom. It’s important to remember that students across the world are facing the same issues and everyone is in this together. Take a deep breath, eat your veggies, and hit the books (or Macbook). You got this!