Preparing for Finals

Ashley Turner

Hometown: Frisco, Texas

This can be one of the most stressful times for your student their first semester, but it doesn't have to be! My parents always liked to send me a "care package" of snacks and candy that I would munch on while I was studying, which is something I would encourage you guys to do as well. The best advice I can give you to tell your students is to take one class at a time, don't let yourself get too overwhelmed and relax!!!

Aly Carey

Hometown: Whitesboro, Texas

Finals week is one of the most stressful weeks of the semester. You only have about 5 days to complete up to 5 exams. However, there are some ways to tackle finals week and win over those tests! First, set times to study for each exam. I always wrote down in my planner, when and what I was going to study, and then I actually followed it. Second, study groups always help me when studying for finals. However, this could not work well for people who need to study in total solitude. Also, it wouldn't hurt to find a cool place to study that will help you relax, like a coffee shop or maybe even outside. Another thing that helped me was study guides. In college, it is rare that professors give out study guides for the final, so I decided to make my own. If the final is cumulative (meaning the final is over everything that was taught during the semester) then I would start making my study guide at the beginning of the semester. If not, then I would just go over the chapters that the final is over. Finally, eat healthy snacks! My parents sent me a lot of healthier alternatives to the normal Cheetos and chocolate donuts. A few examples are: pretzels, oranges, bananas, and granola bars!

Aislim Athie

Hometown: El Paso, Texas

Finals are every college student's nightmare. It's really important to be ready to tackle them before they even begin. The first thing I do is clean my room: do my laundry, wash my sheets, dust, wipe down the cabinets, and clean up my study area and everything in between. There is something about a clean bedroom that helps me keep a clear mind during finals. Second, make sure you stock up on supplies you need. If you're someone who uses index cards to study, make sure you have plenty of those, because you don't want to find out mid-study session that you need 50 more terms and only have 3 note cards left. Third, have snacks on hand, (try to make them as healthy as possible)! You will find yourself studying into the late hours of the night and before you realize it all the dining halls are closed and you haven't eaten in the past few hours. Some snacks I like to have when finals come around are peanut butter crackers, nuts (preferably almonds), pretzels, and I always have to have apples on hand. It's much better to reach over for some of these snacks than it is to make a late-night Whataburger run. Your brain and your body will thank you. Lastly, I like to organize all my papers, assignments, and readings for each class before studying for finals. This helps me save time to actually study rather than look frantically for a certain worksheet. Along with this, I like to figure out how I am doing in each class. This helps me allocate my studying time better in that if I need to study a certain subject, lesson, chapter, etc. more than another, I'll have known that by the time I start studying. Lastly, try to relax and do something you enjoy whether it be working out at the rec or watching a few episodes of a series on Netflix before finals. You don't want to get burnt out on finals before you even start taking them. It's important to have a little bit of down time for you to clear your mind and be able to wreck your finals!

Sam Phariss

Hometown: Houston, Texas

When finals roll around it is really easy to get overwhelmed and stressed. The best way to combat this is to start studying a week early. While this sounds hard, getting a little studying in early prevents from having to pull all-nighters at the last minute. Also, take the time to go eat proper healthy meals. Eating two protein bars and drinking coffee will not let you study with the most productivity. Take a 10 minute break every hour or so that you don't get bogged down,  and be sure to walk around to get your blood flowing. Lastly, ask your professor about any questions that come up well in advance of the final if you want your questions answered.

Kaitlin York

Hometown: Lubbock, Texas

Finals can be stressful and overwhelming but there are few tips to give your students to help make the process a little easier.

1. Don't learn the whole course the week before finals! Learn as you go. Studying for finals should be a REVIEW of the semester not a chance to learn the whole course. Make sure your student is going to class and actually learning.
2. For every test your student has during the semester, I recommend they make a study guide, that way when they start to study for the final they have guides to study with.
3. Find somewhere quiet. Studying in the dorm while your student's roommate has friends over makes focusing hard. I highly recommend your student use the library as a resource to study.

Julia Pena

Hometown: Austin, Texas

1. Try to study throughout the semester – Cramming information at 3 a.m. the morning the "night" before a final is not fun. Keep all your materials for at least the semester. Teachers also sometimes give incentives to do well on the tests throughout the semester that can go toward doing better on the final or even not taking the final! One less thing to worry about!
2. Chapter outlines – Outlining the chapter helps me pay attention to what I am reading. Encourage your student to read the chapter before they get to class and the teacher goes over it. If your student reads it beforehand, learning it from the teacher will help with the information they didn't know or reinforce the information they did read.
3. Know when each final is and allocate time – Your student should write down the finals they have to take on a calendar. If they have biology first and math a few days later, encourage them to focus on studying for biology more. Allocate a little bit of time for math, but more for biology. Just remind them not to cram. Allocate their study time wisely.

Bobby Gonzales

Hometown: Midland, Texas

It is very easy to be apprehensive about your first experience with finals but there are many tools to help get you through it. The library has very generous hours of operation to give its students maximum study time. A great benefit of college is that students usually get a syllabus on the first day of class that states the day and time of that classes particular final which helped me so that I could put it in my calendar to set out a study schedule. Getting to know my TA's (Teaching Assistants) was also a great tool given that they are more than likely had taken the course and can help highlight the more important study content.