Thursday, November 19, 2015

Prepare for your finals week


The time has come to start preparing for finals week. Next week is Thanksgiving Break already. The week following break is success week then it is time, time for finals! This time of year can be very stressful; especially this year since it seems like it all falls so close together.

There are several things to remember when preparing for the next 2 to 3 weeks. Students need to first remember to maintain their health. Don’t sacrifice sleep for study time. Even if you cram all night and skip sleep, your test scores could suffer just as bad from lack of sleep rather than lack of studying. On the same token, don’t forget to eat properly. Food is key in brain function as well as sleep. A great tip is to eat a balanced breakfast the day of an exam. When you are full, your brain will be more focused on the material, and not on tacos…or chicken nuggets.

Plan a good space to study. Unlike in the past, the library will not be open 24/7 during this week. The new hours that have started this fall will continue during finals week, according to Mabee Library’s website. If you prefer to study there, take a look at the hours and schedule your study time about that.

On the topic of scheduling, make sure to pace yourself. During this time of year students have a lot going on. A lot of projects are due, exams to take making it an overwhelming experience. I have found that it is good to lay out your assignments on a calendar and stick to it. For all papers and lengthy assignments, it is best to spread them out doing a little bit at a time. For example, plan to complete two pages a week which will allow you to complete a 8 page paper in 4 weeks without extensive sessions and cramming.


Don’t forget, take care of yourself, pace yourself and don’t forget that professors and advisors are here to help you. Contact them if you are overwhelmed and need help, they will help you.

11 comments:

  1. Great advice for an upcoming stressful couple of weeks!! Wow I'm so surprised that Mabee won't be open 24/7 during finals week?! I would double check this information but I think they should definitely be open for students. Great article!

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  2. Very information. In the third paragraph, I would say "take a look at the hours and schedule your study time accordingly." In the fourth paragraph I would say "A lot of projects are due and many exams to take, making finals an overwhelming experience." Otherwise good story.

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  3. Great story! Remember AP style, make sure to spell out two to three.

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  4. You use a lot of numbers in the story that are below 10 so they all need to be spelled out. I would change the headline and remove the "your." You could maybe say instead "Students prep for final exam crunch." I would completely rewrite the lede - it's a little repetitive and maybe you could find some synonyms for the word "time."

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  5. Very relevant article, David! I agree with Amy, all numerals under 10 need to be spelled out. In the third paragraph, I would change "schedule your study time about that," to study time around that. Other than that, great job! You are a protege!

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  6. very good story and vert informative tips. I think the title can be more attractive.

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  7. Not a news story. But would be good for a magazine or blog.

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  8. "When you are full, your brain will be more focused on the material, and not on tacos…or chicken nuggets."...I like this sentence. " The week following break is success week then it is time, time for finals!" I would take out the exclamation point.

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  9. There are just a couple spelling and grammar errors like "schedule your time about that" replace "about" with around. I think you did a good job, otherwise.

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  10. I would have done something like 5 tips for finals and create a new paragraph for each one. It would have helped break up the text a little bit. Good job!

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  11. Informative indeed! Perhaps "next 2 to 3 weeks" could be spelled out?

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