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Finals week is to most Ohio State students what the National Championship is to our football players. The techniques used to prepare range from the traditional to the strange and superstitious.
“I study by watching YouTube and playing Xbox,” said Marc Groom, a freshman in mechanical engineering. “I also don’t shower the day of my final.”
“I generally wear black socks during exams,” said Adam Millat, a freshman in mechanical engineering. He also said he starts studying the weekend before finals by doing problems and reading notes and past assignments.
Mary Trinh, a sophomore in pharmaceutical sciences, is much more traditional.
“I start studying a few days before,” she said. “I sit at my desk with tea, so I can stay awake. I do problems, like chemistry or math. Or I read the book or notes.”
When asked if her methods worked, Trinh said “Most of the time, yes. In bio, no.”
Not all students are as organized in their study habits as Trinh.
“I think everyone in some ways knows what to do,” said Ruth Bolzenius, the academic resource coordinator of Student Athlete Support Services at the Younkin Success Center. Bolzenius suggests students begin preparing early.
“Really the prep is being in class all quarter, doing assignments and making sure you know the material,” she said. “That’s the real prep.”
Bolzenius said reviewing is the next step and to begin about a week before finals.
“Make sure you know all the details of what the exam is going to cover,” she said.
Also make a time management schedule for the week before exams and mark when you can study or cannot, she said.
Brent Mosser, the associate director of the Walter E. Dennis Learning Center in the Younkin Success Center, agrees.
“Thursday or Friday before exam week make a study schedule,” Mosser said. “That’ll reduce some of the anxiety, knowing you’ll get done. That’s crucial. You don’t want to feel overwhelmed. We take info best when we’re relaxed.”
Mosser also warns against making drastic changes to a student’s normal schedule.
“Don’t change a lot of what you do regularly. Finals week isn’t a time to start sleeping less or skipping meals,” he said.
Stress can be a reason students do not do as well as they should.
“To keep anxiety down, be prepared,” Mosser said. “Take an earlier bus. Prepare everything you need beforehand. Get there early. There’s nothing worse than rushing in five minutes after your final has started.”
Students sometimes eavesdrop or talk to their neighbors in the exams, which can psyche them out, he said.
“People who have prepared have no reason to talk themselves down. Say ‘I have as good a chance as everyone to do well.'”
Students who have gotten lazy during the quarter and did not attend class or have not kept up should not give up.
Bolzenius said “going back over old exams and analyzing how you did” is a good way to review and learn material.
“If you haven’t done any review before last-minute cramming, it’s not very effective,” she said. “You need to have processed the information so it can move to long-term memory so it’s easier to access during last minute studying.”
Students who have not done the best job studying throughout the quarter need to buckle down, Mosser said.
“You might feel like a fish out of water, but at least for finals week be the model ideal student,” he said. “It might help you get Bs and Cs instead of Ds and Fs.”
Students should not just accept their fate and decide not to study, Mosser said.
“At least give it the old college try, as they say.”
Everdeen Mason can be reached at [email protected].
