How To Prepare For Finals Without Procrastinating

Keeping+your+desk+clean+helps+with+studying.

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Keeping your desk clean helps with studying.

In a flash, our 2021-2022 school year is nearing its end and final exams are coming closer. As someone who heavily procrastinates on work, I decided to write this to help other people like me to be more motivated to study hard and score well on our exams!

  1. Create a study schedule/a list of things needed to be achieved: making to-do lists or organizing specific times for things and being able to check tasks off is satisfying, and you feel like you’ve achieved a lot, which will motivate you to study even more. I often make lists in my notes app or on sticky notes for things I need to do that day and topics I need to observe within specific periods, and it helps to organize everything.
  2. Take breaks: taking small but meaningful breaks between study sessions helps you organize your thoughts and feel refreshed before moving on to something else. Specific study methods such as the Pomodoro technique allows for small breaks within larger periods of work time, which increases your productivity. While on breaks, it’s best to stay off your phone and go out to get some fresh air or go for a short walk. 
  3. Get good sleep: you’ve probably already heard this many times before, but it is essential to get adequate sleep to perform well in anything. Most teens need about 8-10 hours of sleep. If you’re tired after school, small naps might help, but sleeping in the evening before you go to bed might leave you feeling disoriented or unaccomplished. 
  4. Use class resources: your teachers probably have many study materials on their Google Classroom or Canvas, so you could find things to study there without wasting time looking for what to study. 
  5. Communicate: if you require help and you don’t know where to start, you should start by talking to your teachers/advisors about how to proceed instead of not studying at all. 
  6. Create your motivation: think of things you’re excited to get into after you’re done with exams, or even just done with studying. The motivation you get from the thought of being free from exams might save your scores. 
  7. Study with friends: if you can’t do it yourself, it always helps to study with a friend, and review course material together. 
  8. Use online study materials: websites such as Quizlet help you memorize concepts better using their flashcards. 
  9. Switch things up: if you’re tired of studying the same unit or subject, switch to something else, and revisit challenging concepts later. Using up all your time on one topic may cost you your concentration. 

These tips can apply to most other types of schoolwork, not just studying for finals. In the end, anything works as long as you feel good about the studying that you’ve done, and you feel prepared for whatever exam you’re taking.