As the final exam period approaches, I know that you are overwhelmed. You don’t know how you’re going to get all of the work done and manage to find time to study. Take it from me, a 5th year senior, you can do well on these exams but you need to study, sleep, and eat well.

You must start studying in advance and give yourself plenty of time to go over all of your material. Although some students are able to study five minutes before an exam and do a decent job, this does not work for everyone (it sure didn’t work for me) and should not be the method of choice. By studying ahead of time, you are able to fully learn and understand all of the material, and it also gives you a chance to ask questions for something you do not understand.

You should also study in a quiet area, such as the library or your dorm room. If a student is studying in the middle of the common area where there are tons of distractions, this will not be productive, which could lead to them not remembering the material. By studying in a quiet area, you are giving your full attention to studying, which will make the material stick more.

Getting a good night’s sleep is also a major component to doing well on an exam. If you give yourself plenty of time to study, there should be no reason why you cannot go to sleep early. But, if you wait until the last minute to study, and are up all night, the exam will be harder in the morning because you are tired. It will also be hard to remember the large amount of information you just went over the night before.

Statistics have shown that eating specific foods before finals week can charge the brain cells and will be helpful. There are different kinds of snacks one can eat that have good protein in them such as fruits and nuts (hazelnuts, walnuts, pistachios, and/or almonds). Healthy meals such as spaghetti or chicken and rice can also help the body and brain become more relaxed for finals week.

One last advice I can give you guys is STUDY STUDY STUDY. For more advice to learn how to survive exams I recommend that you read this.