Lauren
Finals week is just around the corner (how?), and the pre-test anticipation might be setting in soon. Fall semester finals can be super difficult to focus for, as the anticipation of the holidays and cozy nights watching movies can be especially distracting.
However, here are some useful tips to navigate these distractions and set you up to conquer any final, whether it be a random Gen Ed class or a super important core nursing course:
1) Pay attention during class! This is a crucial technique to start as early as possible (if you haven't this semester - start this week!). It is so easy to succumb to your boredom and text on your laptop or blatantly ignore the information spoken during lecture. However, being attentive in class will help you add valuable supplemental notes and put you ahead in the studying game if you already have a general understanding of the material.
2) Try the Pomodoro Technique. This time management system is used by many med school students, so it must work - right? This technique involves studying in 25-minute chunks separated by five-minute breaks. After about four "pomodoros," you take a longer break of about 15 to 20 minutes. It is a super efficient method of studying and forces you to take time to reset before continuing. Try it out!
3) Drink lots of water and be sure to eat whole foods! Feeding your body with more than coffee and Easy Mac can seem difficult, but hydration and quality nutrients can help boost your concentration and avoid burnout. Grabbing nutrient-packed meals can also give you a well-deserved break from studying to refuel.
4) SLEEP! This concept might be obvious, yet this may be the most neglected aspect of finals week that can make-or-break the end of your semester. Numerous studies have supported that sleep enhances the mind's capacity to concentrate and performs an active role in fortifying memories, making it simpler to reclaim knowledge. So avoid caffeine in the evening, limit your electronics at night, and allow yourself to get 8 hours (at least)!
5) Go to review sessions. Review sessions can be extremely useful in reinforcing knowledge and gaining some insight on what might be on the exam. Professors usually are grateful that students come to these sessions, so they are often more open to answering questions about the format of the exam and what content to focus on. I've also had professors give almost identical practice questions to what was on the final. I have never once regretted going to a review session, so if you have an hour to spare (especially if its on Zoom), go!
6) Re-watch lectures if possible! Now more than ever, my professors have given us access to pre-recorded lectures, even if we already attended the lecture in-person. I'll thank the pandemic for this one mostly, but having a recorded lecture is extremely useful to take the content at your own pace and ensure you're writing all of the supplemental notes. I'm an auditory learner, so this definitely helps me absorb the material more effectively while catching some information I may have missed in class.
7) Make flashcards. In classes that mostly require memorization, flashcards can be SO valuable for information recall. For Anatomy and Physiology, a few of my friends and I would share a Quizlet account to split the workload and make flashcards for terms and diagrams for exams. For the final, we would also make practice multiple choice questions in a similar style our professor would ask them. If working individually, writing out flashcards by hand is also a super useful way to reinforce information while creating a study resource you can use anywhere.
8) Don't set yourself up for burnout! I've seen so many of my friends (and, yes, I've been guilty myself) spend 12+ hours a day at the library, eat poorly, get no sleep, and return back the next day and do it all again for a week. The quality of your studying is SO much more important than quantity, so taking care of yourself is crucial in setting yourself up for success. Make a plan, try to stick to it, and ensure you are incorporating self-care and frequent breaks.
Finals week can be super tough, but there are so many ways you can make it bearable while getting the most out of your classes. This too shall pass, and with some determination and commitment you will be one step closer to becoming a great nurse (and then get some much-needed relaxation)! Good luck!!!
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