Skip to main content
Special Projects Assistant

Person working on homework with a calculator
Everyone is different with their studying methods, but every student has one thing in common – a special study space, where they can keep focus.

Finals season is coming up, and so is the daily intake of caffeine by students – you know who we’re talking about. Exam stress is a natural part of life that everyone will face at one point or another, but there are ways to ease the stress associated with this busy time. Following are some tips that will help you cope during final exams/final papers/final projects etc.

The first tip, and probably most overlooked, is to stay organized. Of course it would be simpler to dump that handout into your binder in some random location, but come exam time, that piece of paper might be vital to know about for the exam. Similarly, keeping your computer’s folders is important too. Certainly it would be easier to throw stuff on the desktop for easy access, but it will become a jumbled mess fairly quickly – you’d be wasting valuable studying time trying to look for a file you could’ve kept neatly tucked into a dedicated school folder.

Speaking of wasting time, there’s another important aspect – managing your time wisely. Waiting until the night before the exam to study may work for some people, but there are better ways to study. As busy students, you are constantly juggling your agenda to accommodate everyone, but during exam time, look at your schedule and see what you can cut down on. Generally, a 3-credit course will require 6-9 hours of studying time, so plan enough time in your schedule to accommodate that, most certainly during exam time.

If you put off reading the last paragraph to see what else is in this post, you’ll know the next tip – avoiding procrastination. Procrastination makes it easy to “put off today what you can do tomorrow,” but it’s a dangerous cycle that can have a tremendous impact on your academic career, and possibly even your professional career if you continue. That’s not to say you should study all day – doing so might result in less success anyway – but take study breaks wisely. If you know you’re going to fall asleep during your late-night studying session, wake up early the next day. You might feel a bit groggy, but it’s a lot better than losing out on precious sleep and not remembering anything you read. Reducing procrastination also helps in reducing stress, as you won’t be feeling overburdened.

While this next tip isn’t necessarily something you’d do while studying for finals, it is something you might want to do before classes end (and is also similar to the last point). That would be to participate whenever you have the chance, especially in tutorials. Not only does participation give you extra marks (something that could be the difference maker between a B+ and A-), it also allows you to better retain information, and have a greater understanding of the material. Don’t wait (procrastinate) until Week 12 to raise your hand, because you’ll be missing out on the main benefit of attending tutorial – engaging with the material. Participation is one of the reasons you’re in post-secondary – to analyze and think critically. Active participation can also help you in absorbing information for that pesky final exam.

Everyone is different with their studying methods, but every student has one thing in common – a special study space, where they can keep focus. Do whatever works for you, whether that’s in a busy coffee shop, listening to heavy metal at maximum volume (not recommended), or just reading in pin drop silence, do what works. There’s no point being somewhere where you’re constantly distracted, even if it’s what you ‘think’ works for you. Try to find a pattern before finals start so that you can use your established method and start hitting the books right away when the time comes.

Finally, and this of course sounds completely cliché, but it’s true – try your best. Even if you don’t feel completely confident after the exam, knowing that you tried your best is what matters. If you used your time effectively and studied to the best of your abilities, don’t despair, because this one final isn’t the entire definition of your existence. Though if you didn’t take enough time to study (by, perhaps not following some of the tips listed above), remember that there will always be another opportunity to excel on a different exam. Maya Angelou has some comforting words if you feel a bit hopeless “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.”

And there you have it, some tips on studying effectively. Feel free to send us a tweet @SFU_Career with some of your favourite studying tips. Good luck on your exams!

Special Projects Assistant
visibility  69
Nov 21, 2013

You Might Like These... International, Career Exploration, Academic Success, Personal Development, Professional Associations, Seeking

picture of a bunch of hand-painted bowls
International Studies: Experiences Abroad Set Students Apart

International Studies (IS) is a fairly new faculty at SFU. How can students in IS market their unique perspectives and skill set to potential employers? Read on for advice from Jan Bérubé, Manager of Academic & Administrative Services for the School for International Studies, and for some upcoming events with international-focused employers.

Suzanne smiling at her desk
Suzanne Young: A Co-op Student's Success Story

For Suzanne Young, SFUs Co-op program was an immense part of her undergraduate experience. As a graduate in Linguistics and French, she reflects back on her experiences as a Co-op student.

Monica smiling on the sands of a beach
Studying Down Under

Monica Hartanto spent a semester studying at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia.  Read about here experience here, and get tips on how you can study abroad too!

You Might Like These... Community Engagement

David Oyetola
What Does It Mean to Make an Impact with Your Studies?

David Oyetola’s Semester in Dialogue experience and how you can learn to make an immediate impact on the world while studying your career.

an elephant with a speech bubble
Four Years of University: Quantity of Time vs. Quality of Experience

There are lots of reasons that can scare you away from taking more than four years to finish university. What if your friends finish early? What about the cost? While these are valid concerns, remember that university is a chance to gain experience. 

Clair
How to be Productive in 6 Steps

Do you feel like you have control over your life? Do you feel empowered as you walk out the door to conquer whatever comes your way? I have a secret to share with you and the good news is that it’s incredibly simple. In this article I share how to be productive, how not to focus on being busy, and why that is important.