Daily Lobo

CAPS: studying properly can ease stress of finals
By: Abigail Ramirez

With less than three weeks of the semester left, students should begin reviewing for their exams as soon as possible, said Ellee Cushing-Cruver, CAPS program coordinator.

Cushing-Cruver said students should find out how much time they have to study for each class instead of cramming for finals at the last minute.

"I think the most important thing to do, even before they start studying or anything, is to actually work out a plan for themselves," she said.

Students should decide where they will study and which subjects they will spend the most time on, Cushing-Cruver said.

Student Leah Gover said she has already begun studying for her final exam in organic chemistry and plans to study with others in the class.

"I do study groups. I find I actually study when I study with other people rather than studying on my own, because then I get too distracted," she said.

Classics professor Monica Cyrino said students will be prepared for finals if they have kept up with their classes throughout the semester.

"The best way to prepare for exams is to attend class all term, do all the reading and keep up with the assignments," she said. "That way, even if you have a bad night before a test, you can fall back on the knowledge and skills you've acquired all through the term."

Cushing-Cruver said the time students have to spend studying will depend on what they have done throughout the semester.

"If they have done a pretty good job of attending class and really being current within the course, they are not going to spend as much time cramming," she said. "But if you kind of slacked off the whole semester, it's going to take a lot more to get you prepared for that final."

Cushing-Cruver said students should study course material three hours outside of class for every one hour spent in class.

Cyrino said students who can't steadily study throughout the semester should not try to over-prepare at the last minute.

"Now, if that isn't possible for whatever reason, then the best advice I can give is get a good night's sleep before an exam. That way your senses will be keen and alert so you can do your best at winging it," she said.

Cushing-Cruver said students can also ask for direction from their professors before the exam to find out what they need to study.

"If (students) haven't gotten a test review or some kind of study guide, they should go see their professor and just have a chat with them about what can be expected about in the test," she said. "I would definitely stress not to be afraid of your professor or instructor and go see them and talk to them. I think going to office hours can be really intimidating, so I think a lot of students don't do it, but they definitely should."

Students who get study guides should know more than just the facts on it, Cushing-Cruver said.

"You've got to go beyond that to really have a deeper understanding," she said. "If you have a deeper understanding of the information, you are going to do so much better on the test than just that surface study guide."

If the study guide has material from the entire semester, Cushing-Cruver said students should study it in small sessions so they don't get overwhelmed. Research has shown 50-minute study sessions are more productive and help the individual retain more information than all-night cramming.

"You've got to plan short study sessions and give yourself little breaks for 10 to 15 minutes in between to relax and rest your mind for a little while," Cushing-Cruver said. "Cramming for hours at a time isn't really effective."


Study Smarter, Not Harder


Tips to get higher grades:

Sleep and eat.

Read notes from previous lectures before each class.

Read through your notes after each lecture, within two hours if possible.

Stay until the end of class, even if your instructor runs overtime. Often you can catch the professor or TA right after class.

See your professor or TA as soon as you have a question (office hours).

Ask questions in class.

Study your old exams.

Learn about your library.

Get study-skills tutoring in memorization, note taking, test taking and time management.

Get tutoring on specific subjects that are difficult for you.

Source: Center for Academic Program Support