How to Study (or cram!) for Midterms or Final Exams
Final exams are coming up - aka dead week!
For anyone setting a New Year’s resolution to get better grades or sustain good grades, this article should be super helpful in helping you exit the school year with a BANG.
Though it’s better to start studying for your finals early on, I know that some people will still end up being last-minute, so here’s a quick rundown on how to study for exams whether you have a long way to go, or are cramming last minute.
If you're cramming: Just look at old Unit tests and see where you had the most trouble. Taking a practice test and also grading it might take a long time to work on.
Long-term studying: Take an online practice test or complete a review packet given to you by your teacher. This practice test can be anything whether that’s a vocab quiz (Quizlet) all the way through, a multiple choice quiz or even writing an essay. I suggest also studying any questions where you think you GUESSED because that means you don’t know the content as well as you should.
Once you’re finished with whatever practice test, check it honestly (or have someone else grade it for you if it’s an essay) and identify all your wrong answers in addition to why you got them wrong.
Question: Factor the expression 2x^2 + 7x - 30
My (wrong) answer: (2x+5)(x-6)
Why I got it wrong: Careless mistake, I was rushing. I already know how to function factors, I just accidentally flipped over the negative and positive signs.
What to study: Nothing. If it was a careless mistake you just need to be more careful, it doesn’t mean you don’t know the content.
Question: Among the intermolecular forces, which intermolecular forces are typically the weakest?
My (wrong) answer: hydrogen bonds
Why I got it wrong: I honestly don’t know/understand any of the intermolecular forces in Chemistry.
What to study: Go back to old lessons and practices to actually learn the content. If you don’t know something, go back and learn it.
If you only have 5-7 days or less left before your Final Exams and you haven’t studied ahead of time - you may need to spend a LOT of time studying for the next few days to really guarantee yourself a good grade.
Your first step in studying for Finals is to divide each class into units and write these units out into a list. Then assign yourself a few units for each day and make a schedule - you can write this anywhere you’ll remember to look at it, whether it’s a planner, google calendar, spreadsheet, or a scrap of paper.
PSST! Here’s a free spreadsheet you can make a copy of to help organize. :)
Regular visuals and organizers are really helpful for storing information in your memory for longer.
If it’s for a History class try creating a
If it’s for a Science class:
But it’s also possible to attach an image to vocabulary words that you use in language classes and other subjects. Linking a very dramatic mental image to a word can be super helpful.
For example, to remember the Spanish word “caber” which means “to fit” you can visualize a large bear trying to fit itself into a taxi cab. This is helpful because it helps you remember that its pronunciation sounds like “cab” and “bear” together, and it means “to fit” because the bear is trying “to fit” itself into the cab. Images like these are really descriptive and are wild enough to be remembered.
Logically, this makes sense - because think about your last 5 years of life - what sticks out? Most likely what sticks out is big events, ends, and beginnings - probably not a mundane memory of you brushing your teeth a month ago.
Grab a friend or two for a quick study session and ask each other questions about the parts you don’t know. It’s a win-win for everyone because everyone’s questions are answered, and will also reinforce the concepts for whoever’s teaching or explaining. Just from discussing different parts with each other, you can learn a lot.
To motivate yourselves as a group, put a timer for one to two hours just for studying, and then plan to do something more fun afterward. But if you’re cramming and really pressed for time be sure to pair up with friends who won’t distract you.
If your teacher has office hours during the school year, go visit them for extra help or shoot them a quick email. Hopefully, most of them will be happy to help. But make sure to ask them early on - the last thing you want to happen is to ask the teacher a long-winded question five minutes before the final! A lot of teachers probably won’t appreciate lateness.
Acute stress for even a few hours can negatively affect your memory - so take it easy. Preferably, don’t study the whole day before the final you’re taking. Cramming too much the day before might cause fatigue or bad performance. And after working hard for the last few days straight, nothing could be worse than seeing your grade drop lower after finals.
So don’t psych yourself out by thinking too much about your finals tomorrow. Plan to do something fun, completely unrelated to the exams the night before - maybe hang out with friends, watch Netflix, or work on a hobby.
Obviously, without adequate sleep, your memory will not perform its best. Plan to unwind or do something that makes you sleepy - for some people that might be reading a particularly boring book or taking a hot bath before going to bed.
Screenshot for an easy To-Do-List based on whether you’re cramming or studying in advance:
CRAMMING:
LONG-TERM STUDYING:
Though it’s better to start studying for your finals early on, I know that some people will still end up being last-minute, so here’s a quick rundown on how to study for exams whether you have a long way to go, or are cramming last minute.
1. Figure out the most important things to study
What’s most Common on the test?
If you know what percentage of each topic the exam is based around - you’re extremely lucky! When you’re really pressed for time, stick to the topics that are the most prevalent. If a topic you don’t know is only 1% of a 100 question test - and you’re cramming - DON’T learn the content for that topic! Stick to content that you don’t already know but makes up a majority of the test - such as something that’s 20% or 45% of the test.What areas do you personally need the most work on?
To really maximize your time you have to figure out what topics you don’t fully know or understand.If you're cramming: Just look at old Unit tests and see where you had the most trouble. Taking a practice test and also grading it might take a long time to work on.
Long-term studying: Take an online practice test or complete a review packet given to you by your teacher. This practice test can be anything whether that’s a vocab quiz (Quizlet) all the way through, a multiple choice quiz or even writing an essay. I suggest also studying any questions where you think you GUESSED because that means you don’t know the content as well as you should.
Once you’re finished with whatever practice test, check it honestly (or have someone else grade it for you if it’s an essay) and identify all your wrong answers in addition to why you got them wrong.
Examples:
My (wrong) answer: (2x+5)(x-6)
Why I got it wrong: Careless mistake, I was rushing. I already know how to function factors, I just accidentally flipped over the negative and positive signs.
What to study: Nothing. If it was a careless mistake you just need to be more careful, it doesn’t mean you don’t know the content.
Question: Among the intermolecular forces, which intermolecular forces are typically the weakest?
My (wrong) answer: hydrogen bonds
Why I got it wrong: I honestly don’t know/understand any of the intermolecular forces in Chemistry.
What to study: Go back to old lessons and practices to actually learn the content. If you don’t know something, go back and learn it.
2. Schedule your time for Studying
Your first step in studying for Finals is to divide each class into units and write these units out into a list. Then assign yourself a few units for each day and make a schedule - you can write this anywhere you’ll remember to look at it, whether it’s a planner, google calendar, spreadsheet, or a scrap of paper.
PSST! Here’s a free spreadsheet you can make a copy of to help organize. :)
Example:
Math Final date: May 14th
Take practice Test May 4th
Complex numbers May 5th
Function Algebra Cut out*
Graph Behavior May 6th
Polynomial and Rational Functions May 7th
Exponential, Log, and Piecewise functions May 8th
Conic Sections May 9th
Sequences and Series May 10th
Full Review May 11th
Full Review May 12th
* If there’s a unit/topic that you know really well, feel free to cut it out of your schedule to spend more time on other parts of the class. As you can see I’ve also placed Full Review days towards the end to just review everything all together once again. This might involve more practice tests. If a subject is harder for you make sure to adjust your schedule to spend more time on harder classes/units.
Get out your flashcards, notes, old lessons, videos, textbooks, and prep books, that might help you study! Use any of the strategies below (or your own!) and work through the schedule you made for yourself.
This strategy is efficient and requires you to use active recall skills that stimulate your brain and will be better at moving information from your short-term memory to your long-term memory.
Take practice Test May 4th
Complex numbers May 5th
Function Algebra Cut out*
Graph Behavior May 6th
Polynomial and Rational Functions May 7th
Exponential, Log, and Piecewise functions May 8th
Conic Sections May 9th
Sequences and Series May 10th
Full Review May 11th
Full Review May 12th
* If there’s a unit/topic that you know really well, feel free to cut it out of your schedule to spend more time on other parts of the class. As you can see I’ve also placed Full Review days towards the end to just review everything all together once again. This might involve more practice tests. If a subject is harder for you make sure to adjust your schedule to spend more time on harder classes/units.
3. Actually start studying!
Get out your flashcards, notes, old lessons, videos, textbooks, and prep books, that might help you study! Use any of the strategies below (or your own!) and work through the schedule you made for yourself.
Closed Textbook Notes
For this method, write notes or make a model of what you remember from a class - but with your textbook closed. Afterward, double-check with your book and notes to fill in any gaps of information you might have missed.This strategy is efficient and requires you to use active recall skills that stimulate your brain and will be better at moving information from your short-term memory to your long-term memory.
Make a Visual
If it’s for a History class try creating a
- Venn diagram
- A web
- A timeline.
- Cause and Effect organizer
If it’s for a Science class:
- Draw a scientific process step by step (i.e. Protein Synthesis, Cellular Respiration, etc.)
- Draw and label a diagram (i.e. The human skeleton)
- Venn Diagram (i.e. Different types of classifications)
But it’s also possible to attach an image to vocabulary words that you use in language classes and other subjects. Linking a very dramatic mental image to a word can be super helpful.
For example, to remember the Spanish word “caber” which means “to fit” you can visualize a large bear trying to fit itself into a taxi cab. This is helpful because it helps you remember that its pronunciation sounds like “cab” and “bear” together, and it means “to fit” because the bear is trying “to fit” itself into the cab. Images like these are really descriptive and are wild enough to be remembered.
Logically, this makes sense - because think about your last 5 years of life - what sticks out? Most likely what sticks out is big events, ends, and beginnings - probably not a mundane memory of you brushing your teeth a month ago.
Study with friends
To motivate yourselves as a group, put a timer for one to two hours just for studying, and then plan to do something more fun afterward. But if you’re cramming and really pressed for time be sure to pair up with friends who won’t distract you.
4. Ask your teacher questions - before it’s too late!
5. Use your spare time, especially if you’re cramming
This may be extreme for some, but if you take the bus or are driven to school - that’s time you can use to be studying. Pull out the Quizlet app on your phone, or even paper flashcards and start drilling your facts. Even if you drive yourself to school, you can switch out Spotify for a YouTube video on a tough concept. If you finish your work early in a class, that’s time you can use to study. Remember, if you only have a week until finals but hate studying, remind yourself that you won’t have to study for long, so suck it up and keep working.Tips for the Day Before
Take it easy and have some fun
So don’t psych yourself out by thinking too much about your finals tomorrow. Plan to do something fun, completely unrelated to the exams the night before - maybe hang out with friends, watch Netflix, or work on a hobby.
Sleep for at least 8 hours (the more the better in my opinion)
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Screenshot for an easy To-Do-List based on whether you’re cramming or studying in advance:
CRAMMING:
- Take a practice test OR glance at scores for old tests
- Plan to work on what you don’t know and the subjects that make up the biggest portion of the test.
- Assign a certain number of units from each class to each day
- Start Studying (Use your time very wisely!)
- Ask teachers and peers questions for clarification
LONG-TERM STUDYING:
- Take a practice test to figure out what you need to focus on
- Assign a certain number of units from each class to each day
- Start studying
- Ask teachers and peers questions for clarification
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📌 How to Study or Cram for Midterms or Final Exams
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