Final exams cover a vast amount of information. Your teacher wants to know that you have learned and retained all of the concepts that have been covered over an entire semester. These tests can feel overwhelming, but they don’t have to. With a little preparation and a few tips and tricks you can perform well on your finals.
Master Each Concept
Remember that information builds on itself. If there is one concept you don’t understand, don’t breeze past it. Work on it until you have mastered the material. Then, you can be confident about the rest of the information. Teachers love it when you take initiative and ask for help. When you feel stumped, ask for extra help. You don’t have drown in misunderstanding for the entire semester.
Start Soon
The sooner you get started studying for your final the better. Reviewing a little bit every day is much easier on your brain than spending all night cramming. Create a systematic plan for reviewing your notes and texts before the exam.
Read Through Your Syllabus
Many students look at their syllabus the first few days of class and then only reference it for due dates after that. Your syllabus is likely to include course objectives. Make sure your material refers to all of your course objectives. If there is something on your syllabus that isn’t in your notes, you may be surprised by a big chunk of material on your exam. Reading through your syllabus before your final will help you avoid unwelcome surprises on your exam.
Review Other Material
If you took any quizzes, turned in homework, took pretests, or were given practices tests, spend time looking them over. Anything your teacher thought was worthwhile to grade is likely to show up on the exam. Your teacher has been trying to prepare you for this exam, so the material you were given is a big clue about what you will be tested on.
Don’t Wait
Finals are simply a culmination of all you have been learning. Don’t wait until the end of a semester to try to get ahead on a subject you have struggled with. If you have kept up with reading, assignments and attending class, a little review is all you should need to get the grades you want.