Final Exams: 8 Tips to Get You Prepared

Presenter: Stacha Floyd

English Instructor

Wayne County Community College

District

Presentation Objectives

This presentation will show you how to prepare for a

final exam. We will focus on several topics:

• Develop the Right Mindset

• Ask for Important Information

• Get Organized

• Manage Your Time

• Study Effectively

• Get Assistance with Troublesome Topics

• Start the Morning-of Off Right

• Prepare for the End at the Beginning

Tip 1: Develop the Right Mindset

• Make your final exams a priority over the next

couple weeks.

• Work hard to get prepared for your tests.

• Do not procrastinate with your studying.

• Believe in yourself.

Tip 2: Ask for Important Information

• Ask your instructor…

when your final exam will be administered.

for a study guide.

what types of questions will be on the exam.

if the exam will be comprehensive or not.

if you will be allowed to use your notes or

textbook.

if you will need a scantron, blue book, or any

other testing material.

Tip 3: Get Organized

• Gather all of your resources.

Notes

Previous quizzes and exams

Handouts

• Organize your material.

Place them in order by chapter.

Make sure all related materials are together.

• Place everything in a safe place.

Folder

Tip 4: Manage Your Time

• Determine how many weeks between now

and the final exam that you will have to study.

• Develop a schedule.

Consider all of your

obligations/responsibilities.

• School

• Work

• Children

• Other responsibilities—church, social meetings,

etc.

Tip 4: Manage Your Time (cont.)

Consider everything you do each day.

• Driving time to work, school, etc.

• Sleeping

• Cooking

• Eating

• Exercising

• Working

• Attending classes

• Doing activities with your family and friends

Put your responsibilities and other routines on

the schedule.

• Indicate which days and times you must devote to

each.

Weekly Schedule

Tip 4: Manage Your Time (cont.)

Determine which days and times you will have

to study for your final exam.

• Review the schedule to see which days and

times are empty on your schedule that you can

devote to studying.

• Try to devote at least an hour each day to

studying for each class.

• If you cannot devote that much time, you may

have to cut the time that you spend on

nonessential things, so you can study.

Set up reminders.

Start studying today.

• Follow the schedule and do not

procrastinate.

Tip 5: Study Effectively

• Get plenty of rest/sleep.

• Eat a nutritious meal.

• Have your study folder and textbook.

• Remove all distractions and find a quiet place to

study.

Distractions

• Family members and friends

• Cell phone

• Television

• Music*

• Other responsibilities

Tip 5: Study Effectively (cont.)

Quiet places

• Your home*

• Library

• Empty room on campus

• Set a goal.

Decide how much you will study, such as a

chapter or a number of pages, for each study

session.

• Take breaks.

15-20 minutes per hour

• Use note cards.

Put keywords, those often in boldface or italics,

on the blank side and their definitions on the

front.

Shuffle them each time you go through them.

Use your own words.

Take out the ones you know until the final

review.– http://www.life.arizona.edu/docs/academic-

success/exampreparationonline.ppt?sfvrsn=2

• Study lecture notes.

Tip 5: Study Effectively (cont.)

Tip 5: Study Effectively (cont.)

• Review quizzes and exams if your instructor

has returned them to you.

• Review the textbook, particularly earlier

chapters and those that you did not understand

well the first time.

• Create practice tests.

• Participate in study groups when they will be

productive.

• Ask someone to review with you.

Tip 6: Get Assistance with Troublesome Topics

• Speak with your instructor.

• Ask a classmate—who is knowledgeable and

has done well in the class.

• Use McGraw-Hill’s Connect program for your

class.

Mcgrawhillconnect.com

• Get a tutor.

Smarthinking

• www.wcccd.edu

Tip 6: Get Assistance with Troublesome Topics—McGraw-Hill Connect

Tip 6: Get Assistance with Troublesome Topics--Smarthinking

Tip 6: Get Assistance with Troublesome Topics (cont.)

Tip 6: Get Assistance with Troublesome Topics—Smarthinking (cont.)

Tip 6: Get Assistance with Troublesome Topics—Smarthinking (cont.)

Tip 6: Get Assistance with Troublesome Topics—Smarthinking (cont.)

Tip 7: Start the Morning-of Off Right

• Get plenty of rest the night before.

• Eat a healthy meal.

• Review your notes one more time.

• Arrive to class early.

• Sit in a quiet part of the room.

• Come prepared.

Pencils/pens

Blue Book

Scantron

• Believe in yourself.

Tip 8: Prepare for the End at the Beginning

• Do not wait until now, a couple weeks before

final exams are administered and the semester

ends, to start preparing for your final exam.

• To do your best on your final exam and earn a

good grade, you must start preparing for it on

the first day of class.

Begin your classes--the semester--with the right

attitude.

Manage your time wisely from the beginning to

establish a routine you can follow until the end.

Tip 8: Prepare for the End at the Beginning (cont.)

Get your priorities in order and move school

close to the top.

Set goals for the course and stay focused on

them.

Be prepared for your classes.

Tip 8: Prepare for the End at the Beginning (cont.)

Ask for support from family, friends, and

classmates.

Work hard. Nothing good comes easy.

Be resilient when being a student becomes

challenging.

Questions????

Good luck!!!!!!