Finals week can be a very stressful time for many people. If you are worried about doing well or are a procrastinator, then this article is for you! Here are 7 helpful tips for studying for finals.

Find a good study spot. There are lots of different spaces that could work for you. A good start could be the public library or a coffee shop. Whatever feels most productive to you.

Turn off your phone! Phones are the number one distraction when trying to study. Putting it on do not disturb and placing it far away from your study spot is a good way to not look at it and get distracted. 

A good way to get some motivation to study could be to have a reward for yourself after working hard. Set an alarm for 20 minutes and see how much work you can get done in that one sitting with zero distractions. After the 20 minutes are up, you can play on your phone or just take a break for the next 5 minutes. Then after the 5-minute break time is up, set another alarm for 20 more minutes and continue to see how much work you can get done. This is effective because the incentive of a scheduled break will make you want to study more so you can feel rewarded after working so hard for 20 minutes straight. 

Make flashcards – not on Quizlet, but physical flashcards that you write on. Writing down important things onto flashcards is a great way to study because the more you write the information, the more likely it will be that you remember it. 

Study with a classmate. Reading and comparing notes together can be super helpful because someone else may have some things in their notes that you don’t. It is also helpful because if you don’t understand something, that classmate may be able to help explain it better in their own understanding. Talking about the course out loud and teaching each other can be helpful for your understanding of the material. 

Pace yourself. Don’t try to cram all the information into one night or one super long session. Take some breaks and spread the material out. 

Create a study schedule. You can plan to study only math for one hour on one day, and then the next day you can plan to study only biology for an hour on another day. Planning out what you want to study can make finals week less stressful if you have a schedule. 

Finals don’t have to be as stressful as people make them out to be. Following these tips and creating your own way to study will help you pass!