1. Alternate Study Spots—Location matters! Pick places that are quiet and allow focus
(like the 2nd and 3rd floor of the library).
Once you find your spots move around. Research has found that students
who study in more than one location do better than those that stick to one
spot. Please be considerate of noise levels during finals time and remember to
close group study room doors.
2. Minimize Technology Distractions—Who hasn’t found themselves
caught in the black holes of Buzzfeed, Facebook, Email, Wikipedia…
Try turning your phone on airplane mode, or off altogether,
to minimize the urge to check in. If you
need to use a laptop for studying don’t keep a Facebook tab open for
distraction. Instead, try setting small
study goals and rewarding yourself with a 5-minute Facebook break. The goal is to focus instead of multitasking
and dividing attention.
3. Write it Down—If you’ve ever had an instructor who’s allowed
you to bring in a problem sheet or note sheet you may have noticed that just
the act of writing it out helps to remember. Studies have found that note
taking is more effective on memory then mental rehearsal. Note taking allows
you to process and synthesize the main points of the lecture in your own words
and you are more likely to listen closely when you are not just planning to
fall back on handouts of the slides. If
you haven’t taken your own notes all semester, rewrite the main points of the
chapters or power points. If you have a
study guide fill it out by hand. 
4. Take Care of Yourself—Be aware that your consumption of
content is not the only thing effecting your exam performance. It’s tempting to stay up into the wee hours
studying and surviving on take-out and coffee but that could leave you a
stressed, tired mess on exam day. Plan
to eat healthy, drink water, and get in exercise and sleep.