Home | Forward | More Advice | Subscribe (Free) December 13, 2007
With Fran Northcutt, Honors Adviser, Hunter College of the City University of New York
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How to Survive Your Final Exams
HEAD Start
It seems so unfair...you've barely finished recovering from your midterms, and already the anxiety of final exams is gnawing at your stomach. Or maybe it isn't, because you pushed the awareness of approaching finals so far back in your mind that you live in a happy fog of ignorance.

HEAD Lines
But we all know you can't remain blissfully ignorant forever. You have to face the challenge eventually, and eventually might as well be now. Having dealt with college exams and papers for the last few months, you've probably come up with quite a few strategies, and you'll have the chance to use them all. Your task now is to assemble your arsenal...

WHAT DO YOU NEED?
  • Highlighters?
  • Index cards?
  • Earplugs?
  • 20 to 30 microwavable snacks?
  • A week's worth of clean underwear, since you know you won't be doing laundry again until you go home for break?
WHAT DON'T YOU NEED?
  • Roommate problems - so if anything is bugging you, call a truce for the duration of finals.
  • Constant phone calls from home - explain to your family in advance that you love them and you welcome the occasional, extremely brief support call, but that until exams are over you are forced to be a man or woman of few words.
  • Extra emotional trauma - now is not the time to ask your boyfriend or girlfriend when the two of you will be taking things to the next level, and don't even think about bringing up your vacation plans for next summer.
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From Other HEADS
DO NOT DENY YOURSELF anything the week before exams. I mean, don’t stress out about spending the extra five dollars on a smoothie or iced latte. There’s so much stress before finals, and this is one really easy piece to remove.

-- TIM
SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA
SONOMA STATE UNIVERSITY


ONE OF THE MOST USEFUL THINGS I do to prepare for exams is to study with friends from my classes. The libraries at my university have study spaces with whiteboards. We find a study space and quiz each other with flash cards that we’ve prepared ahead of time, and we help each other understand complicated subject matter. We use the whiteboard to draw chemical structures and chemical reactions that we need to know for the exam.

-- VANESSA HOFFMAN
WASHINGTON, D.C.
CORNELL UNIVERSITY




Web Resources
Try these stress busters from Kansas State University:
www.k-state.edu/counseling/topics/career/testanxiety.htm


HoH Tips
  • Go to a test anxiety workshop. You might not know it but test anxiety is an extremely common problem - almost as common as procrastination. That's why most colleges offer workshops about it. But you're so busy cramming, how can you find the time to go to one!? Make the time. It will pay off!

  • Remember, this too shall pass. Just keep reminding yourself that soon you'll be able to sleep in…Watch a whole movie without guilt… Read your Harry Potter books for the 18th time… If you can see your situation as temporary, you can save your sanity.
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