Finals!!!!!!!!

[PrincessL781]

Merry Meet-
I was just wondering if anyone knew anything that would help me during finals week. I just finished taking my first final, and I am sure the stress is going to continue even more. If you have any ideas or you just want to give me some words of advice or motivation, anything would be greatly appreciated!
Thanx!
BB-
Princess Leia

[mol]

Well, I dont have anything to help you.

But, I feel your pain.

[flar7]

Dont waste all your time studying. It just adds to your stress
when you take the test and say "jeez, I studied all night. How
come I cant remember this?"

Have fun! You can try your best and thats all you can do!

[Lavender]

Rosemary essential oil is good to help your concentration when you're studing. You can put a couple of drops of the oil in a bowl of warm water if you don't have a difusor.

[SnowStar]

A lot of experts will tell you that you need complete silence while you're studying, however I find that I concentrate better if I've got some music on. Pick something that energises and motivates you, not something relaxing, or you'll fall asleep! Studying for finals last year I listened to Bon Jovi myself...this year, who knows. (But speaking of I need to get busy on studying as well!) Also, only study for 10-15 minutes at a time with 5 minute breaks in between, because you start losing attention span after about 15 minutes and you don't absorb as much information. Set yourself up with some snacks like popcorn, chips (tortilla chips and salsa are good study food), or anything with a good amount of carbs, but not a lot of sugar (you'll crash after awhile). Caffiene in moderation, like drinking a Coke or a Mello Yello or a Dr. Pepper along with your snack helps too.

Also, be sure you're comfortable when you're studying and that you're not going to have too many interruptions. If you study better with friends or in a group, then go right ahead, I'm just telling you what works for me, and I work best studying alone. (It must work ok 'cos I haven't done badly on an exam yet! *knock on wood*)

[Nyx]

I put on some good music and take a lot of breaks. If I notice that I'm not retaining any of what I read, I stop for a longer period of time (an hour or so), and go do something else. (Watch tv, cook, run, etc...)
Whatever you do, don't cram! It doesn't work, and it's far too stressful. All nighters just aren't worth it.


~~Nyx~~ (who only has one essay question, and three crits left)

[Sora]

I don't like to study before a final, or any other test, the night before. I take a night to breathe and contemplate what I have learned :). I find I'm so anxious all I do is muddle things up upstairs, when I cram.

I wish you luck :)

[Flaire-FireStar]

Originally posted by Sora
I don't like to study before a final, or any other test, the night before. I take a night to breathe and contemplate what I have learned :). I find I'm so anxious all I do is muddle things up upstairs, when I cram.

I wish you luck :)


I don't study much either.. Usually when I do, I forget what I studied and I get a worse mark than if I hadn't studied. 8O

[~**foxglove**~]

I have found that a lot of the stress around any examination time is either due to the fact you haven't studied enough, or you are unconfident about/place too much importance on it. So there are a few things you can do to snuff these problems out...

Most importantly, make sure you have studied sensibly. Oh, there are so many different study methods that I couldn't say which is right or wrong... about the only thing I can say is to do so in a sensible way, and don't cram. I can't claim to be an angel in this area - I mean hey, we all cram - but it's never a good idea, and even if you only re-read your notes a couple of days in advance, it's that little something that could just prove to help out in the most unexpected way. Cramming only adds to the pressure you're feeling, and you don't need that.

A good night's sleep can help so-o much, and so can a good breakfast, maybe even a hot bath in the morning (if you're an early bird!) Getting things into perspective can take a lot of the stress away.

And, of course, a good attitude to the exam is the best thing you can do to stop getting all freaked. I myself have a tendency to walk into an exam hall screaming in my mind "I'm going to fail! I'm going to fail!" And I'm always wrong. But I can't help thinking that if I went in thinking quietly, "This is nothing, I'll breeze through it..." I would do just that little bit better, hehe!

Okay, enough of my rambling... hehe

Best of luck Princess, be sure to tell us how you went. :D