Semester Exams are Coming Soon!

1. Manage time

* Students should write a study schedule in their planner; be specific!

* A Five-Day Study Plan is proven to work well; studying too early is inefficient; too late means too little retention

* Space studying out:

·         Study one “chunk” of material per session and include a review of the previous section studied during that session.

·         Cramming many chapters into one long session will not help retain complete knowledge of the material

·         Multiple study session increases retention of material

* Split the day to prepare for different exams

·         Once you have a study plan – keep to it!

·         Cover one subject for a period of time; take a break; study another subject for a period of time; change subjects again; go back to the first subject, etc.)

·         Schedule short breaks, and keep your scheduled list of things to do near to keep you focused.

·         Study session are best at 50 minutes or less per subject with a 10 minute break in-between sessions

2. Academics is a priority

* Decide what you will give up until after exams. Once exams are over, your life will get back to normal.

* Break down tasks. Students should write the “chunks” on their agendas or planners.

* To maintain your motivation, plan rewards/breaks. The few minutes of a break offers one a chance to stretch, allows one to focus and concentrate on a reasonably sized “chunk” of information, and allows for some sense of progress on a regular basis.

 3. Set priorities for semester exams

* Look closely at how well are you performing in each class; determine which exams need more effort.

* Know what score you need to earn on the exam to achieve the goal. (Some will need to find a concrete goal in terms of a grade to shoot for on the exam and this helps them focus and begin study with better

concentration.)

* NEVER give up on any class!

4. Reduce test anxiety

* Some anxiety is normal.

* The more prepared you are for the exam, the less anxious you will feel. Exam anxiety comes from a fear of poor performance. If you can prepare well for the test prior to the exam you will find your stress level diminishes.

* Try to eliminate negative statements such as "I'm going to fail this exam.” This negative thinking may limit your ability to perform on an exam. Replacing negative statements with positive statements will improve your test performance.

·         Focus on the task at hand. That is, focus on the activities of studying for and responding to questions on the exam rather than on potential negative consequences.