Surviving Finals Week Dealing with stress Selective cramming Scheduling for exams Rehearsing the information

Sample Exam Questions Anywhere University Sociology: Estimate the sociological problems that might accompany the end of the world. Construct an experiment to test your theory. Medicine: You have been provided with a razor blade, a piece of gauze and a bottle of Scotch. Remove your appendix. Do not suture your work until it has been inspected. You have 15 minutes

Dealing With Tension Organize yourself Take time to relax Adopt a positive approach Anxiety is contagious Plan rewards Get materials together – Divide and Conquer break into small pieces Find a quiet place Keep your schedule with waking, sleeping and eating hours as normal as you can Practice relaxation techniques – breathing, postive comments – your chance to shine - do the best you can include exercise Stay away from those who are contagious Get variety in your schedule with rewards – 20-40 minutes for 1-1/2 – 2 hours then relax for half hour and do another subject

Make A Game Plan When is the exam? How much material does the exam cover? What is my grade now? What is my goal? What types of errors did I make on past exams? What strategies were successful? What new strategies will I need to overcome past difficulties? Make schedules for dead week and finals week

Schedule Your Study Periods Begin at least a week before finals week Allow large blocks of time for studying Allow short periods for review Vary what you study and how you study Schedule breaks and exercise Stay with your routine

Cram Selectively Gather all materials -Divide and conquer Make courageous choices Choose the most important elements Most recent material – lecture notes – textbook – themes that cut across all materials – areas where you’re weakest Know what it is you don’t know – spend more of your time here.

Use Review Cards & Other Study Aids Flash cards- portable, easy to test and mix ideas Mind maps – shows relationships Summary Sheets – more detail – include most important and most difficult concepts Essay Questions Old Exams – greater challenge Commercial Study Guides – saves time

Use the 25/75 Rule Spend 25% of your time organizing information Spend 75% of your time testing, recalling, reciting, writing, etc. (Remember, it’s better to find out what you don’t know now than in the exam room.)

The Night Before Calmly review what you’ve learned Focus on integrating and synthesizing Continue self-testing by using small pieces of time Avoid staying up all night Avoid cramming new material Don’t go to the movies

Take Care of Yourself Moderate stimulants Use campus resources, as needed Maintain regular eating and sleeping patterns

Check out these resources Academic Success Center KRCH 4th Floor 765-525-9328 purdue.edu/asc Psychological Services 765-494-6995