Planning on Acing Your Finals? Organize, Prioritize, and Manage Your Time

"Failing to plan is planning to fail"; when preparing for finals, this famous quote sums it up best. The goal is to get through exams with a minimum amount of stress and test anxiety. Everyone has their own unique way of studying and getting ready for finals in college, but some methods are much more efficient and effective than others. By the end of the semester, you'll know the instructor's style of grading and what kind of test you should expect: a multiple choice test, an essay, a project, or a combination. Each type of final requires a different approach of studying, but no matter what, there are always these steps to follow: first, organize your notes and schedule; next, prioritize each subject and how much time you should spend on each; and finally, study efficiently by managing your available time to get the most out of it.

Going through those phases will put you on the right track to maximize your grade. The famous quotes included in this article provide great advice and motivation; they show that people like Abraham Lincoln probably prepared and studied well for their exams--and so can you.

Organize:

"Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the Axe." - Abraham Lincoln

- Organization is key in preparing for finals week. Start as early as possible or at least 10 days before exams.

- Get a calendar and post the test dates. Hang it where you can be reminded most of the time. Time goes by fast; you don't want to think that you have enough time when you actually don't.

- Know what material is included in the final and how much the test or project weigh in the overall grade.

- Get your notes in order. Get copies from friends if necessary and organize them by eliminating unwanted papers. Rewrite your notes if possible; it will really help to familiarize you with the material. If the final requires writing an essay, get the proper books and tools that are required. For projects, prepare information needed: print outs, books, copies, and notes should be ready before starting to study.

- Evaluate yourself in finding when you get the most work done and where in your home or room you focus best when studying. Do not use your bed; it might be good for an assignment or some reading, but it is not a great idea for prolonged studying because of the possibility of getting too comfortable and falling asleep! Prepare an area where you feel comfortable and most productive while using.

- Let everyone know in your social sphere that you have finals during that period. Doing so will minimize unexpected plans, visits, phone calls, or pressure to be somewhere else when you should be studying.

Prioritize:

"I will study and get ready, and perhaps my chance will come."  Abraham Lincoln

"How to Study and Prepare for Finals," an article from campusgrotto.com, discusses prioritizing: "Study and complete the projects that will be worth more of your grade first. Make an ordered list of things to study and projects to complete based on time and importance. Without having some semblance of an agenda planned, it will become very easy for you to mismanage all of the study time that you have available to you. Know where you currently stand grade wise in your classes, so you know how well you will have to do on the final to get the grade you desire."

- Don't hesitate to always ask your professors what subjects to focus on as they might give you clues on what's really expected of you and what is on the test. Some may provide an outline or references.

- Evaluate which subject of study you are really good at and which might need more clarification.

- Start studying the subject that you think needs more time or clarifications as early as possible so you can have the chance to ask your professor's help before crunching everything in finals week. Asking for help from professors, friends, and colleagues will lift a huge burden of stress off your shoulders. You can also make an appointment with a tutor at NYIT's Learning Center. But do that early so you can manage your time better.

- Arrange your piles of materials on a well spaced out table or desk by order of which to hit the studying manifesto on first.

Time Management:

"Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun's rays do not burn until brought to a focus."  Alexander Graham Bell

This step is the most important of all and it's mentioned last so that it can be remembered. In order to really master managing your own time, you ought to know yourself. Being comfortable by using time to accommodate your needs will help you manage it better and get the maximum results during thorough studying hours.

- Estimate how much time you think each subject will take from you to study. Do not over estimate or underestimate your ability in how much time you need for reading, studying, writing, or analyzing. Think of previous times when you studied and you will know how long it took you to read a chapter or write an essay.

- Are you a morning person or an evening one? Know what time of the days is the most productive in order to use it efficiently.

- How long is your attention span? Can you spend two hours reading or more? If you feel that you have short attention span, that you get bored easily, or if you need to move more often, that's okay, don't blame or criticize yourself as that will only stress you and overwhelm you. Instead, start preparing and studying much earlier than you think, at least a couple of weeks or more before the exams. Cut your studying time over a long span by reading a little each day.

- Know how many breaks you need in order to freshen up and get back to studying. Is it a meal time break or one that you will use to go out? What kind of break can give you the energy needed to go back to studying? For example, if you feel you only need a half hour break every two hours then calculate how much time (days/ hours) each subject of study takes and how many breaks do you need. After that, write it on paper and arrange a studying schedule.