By Haneen Khatib/reporter
South students gathered advice for successfully completing finals during Getting Ready for Finals: How to Beat Finals Week April 27, presented by Chris Carcerano, South center for academic success coordinator.
“Finals isn’t something you need to survive,” he said. “It is something you need to actively take control of and actively conquer.”
Students should organize their time to plan for studying, Carcerano said.
“There are so many myths involved, such as you gotta cram and drink lots of coffee,” he said.
Most students believe that myth, he said, and later it takes a toll on their concentration.
“Preparation for finals begins even before the actual week of final exams,” he said. “You cannot cram an entire semester’s worth of information into one or two nights of studying.”
Also, Carcerano said one of the first things to do is to determine if the exam will be non-comprehensive or comprehensive. A non-comprehensive final will cover all the information given after the last exam. A comprehensive final covers all of the information from day one.
“Focus on what you hate first,” he said. “Study the subjects you either don’t like or are struggling with first. Saving subjects you enjoy for later makes it more of a reward.”
Many students stay up all night studying, Carcerano said.
“If you are sleep-deprived, you won’t be able to comprehend the challenging questions you will face,” he said. “You need at least four hours of sleep a night to function.”
Also, not only will sleep help someone taking the exam, but healthy eating can also help.
“Eating before you study and take tests helps you focus,” he said. “Healthy snacks such as fruits and veggies are known as stress reducers.”
Carcerano ended with “five surefire tips for acing exam week.”
“Don’t panic, don’t be too relaxed, make time for ‘renewing’ activities, resist the urge to party on off-days and don’t worry about others finishing earlier than you,” he said.
