Final Exam Preparation

Study Strategies

Active Studying

Active involvement with your coursework can help increase comprehension and retention. Incorporate these strategies into your final exam preparation.

• Take Notes from Memory: Instead of taking notes while you are reading the text, try stopping at the end of a section and summarizing it from memory. Then, go back, and compare your summary with the text, making note of any information that you missed. Give some extra attention to this material in future study sessions.
• Test Yourself: Use practice tests provided by your professor or textbook. If these materials are not available, try making your own! Once you create a practice test, take it, score yourself, and study some more, giving attention to the material that you missed. Finally, switch the order of the questions, and take the exam again until you are feeling more confident in your knowledge.
• Create Concept Maps: Concept maps are visual aids that can help you better remember how information is organized. These aids are especially useful for visual learners. A concept map could be set up in any way—as a flowchart, a Venn diagram, a timeline, etc. Design according to what best represents the information.
• Become a Teacher: Pretend you are the one teaching the material, and explain it to someone if you are able to do so (a willing family member or friend, a pet, or even an invisible audience all work!). This technique can be especially helpful for more complex material and concepts that require you to paraphrase in your own words.
• Simplify the Content: Use mnemonic devices such as acronyms, music, rhyming, and images. This technique is effective when you have to memorize many different facts, because it can provide you a sort of memory shortcut.
• Make Connections: One of the best techniques we can implement to help us retain information is to make connections between separate pieces of content. For each concept, relate the material to something you learned earlier in the class, something you’ve learned in another class, or your personal experience.

Test Anxiety

General Tips for Managing Test Anxiety

• If you can, establish a consistent study schedule, and find a dedicated study area.
• Focus on the quality, not the quantity, of your studying.
• Set specific goals each time you sit down for a study session.
• Quiz or test yourself to see what you know.
• Take care of your mind and body.

Test Day

• Get enough sleep! Pulling an all-nighter can negatively affect your memory, retention, and test performance.
• Avoid caffeine. It can worsen anxiety. Also, make sure to eat a healthy meal if you can.
• Do a “memory dump.” Jot down important information as soon as you receive the test.
• If your mind goes “blank,” move to the next question. Working through the exam can often jog your memory.
• Check your answers before submitting them.

Relaxation Skills (to use before or during the test)

• Deep Breathing
  • Breathe in slowly through your nose for 4 seconds.
  • Hold the air in your lungs for 4 seconds (or for as long as you comfortably can).
  • Slowly exhale through your mouth, trying to extend the exhalation to 6 seconds.
  • Repeat this cycle for at least 2 minutes.

• Progressive Muscle Relaxation
  • Starting at your feet, notice how your muscles feel. Are they tense or relaxed?
  • Tightly tense the muscles in your feet for 5-10 seconds.
  • Release the tension, and allow them to relax. Notice the difference in feeling.
  • Repeat with different areas, moving up your body: legs, pelvis, stomach, chest, back, arms, hands, neck, and face.

• Cognitive Restructuring
  • Identify Cognitive Distortions
    • Cognitive distortions are irrational thoughts that can lead to anxiety.
    • For example: If I don’t get an A, I’m worthless. If I don’t do well on this test, I’ll never get a job.
  • Challenge Cognitive Distortions
    • Once you identify cognitive distortions, you can start to challenge them.
    • Begin to replace these thoughts with rational and compassionate ones.
  • Use Positive Self-Talk
    • Self-talk is your internal dialogue.
    • Make a list of positive statements to repeat, such as I’m well-prepared for this test, or I can see myself passing this test.