As a university student, one of the hardest parts to navigate is exam season. I’m sure you’re familiar with pre-finals jitters, overlapping schedules and the struggle of finding the right way to prepare!
That’s why I’m excited to share the five-day exam prep challenge. A comprehensive, easy-to-follow plan that will help you feel confident and prepared heading into your finals while leaving time for you to take care of yourself – physically and mentally!
Let’s begin!
Day One – strategize
Sometimes you might have exams back-to-back, or worse, two exams on the same day. It’s essential to understand your exam schedule and create a study plan tailored to it. You should also review the syllabi and exam formats for each course to understand the course material.
Pro-tip: An effective way to understand your course is through concept mapping. It can help you identify relationships among ideas you learn in class!
Day Two – deep dive
Time to lock-in! Once you have your study plan, you can gather materials (readings, slides, notes and textbooks) and focus on heavy topics. Start by understanding important course themes, topics and then diving into the nitty-gritty details!
Pro-tip: Learn how to study effectively! My personal favourites are active recall and concrete examples. Check out campus study spaces for a quiet spot to practice them!
Day Three – rewire
I frequently find it hard to focus in one spot for long spans of time. If you’re like me, changing environments is your best friend in feeling refreshed and productive throughout your study sessions. You can do this by switching between studying alone, with a study group and even with mentors!
Pro-tip: Check out how to book study spaces for yourself or your study group. The Learning Commons at York also offers a bunch of different academic resources to best fit your needs, like the study sessions with tutors, writing help from professors, research assistance and much more!
Day Four – rest
Burnout can become your shadow during this stressful time. It’s very important to pause, take a break and energize. You can do this by taking a nap, hanging out with friends or even going to events on campus!
Pro-tip: Check out personalized ways to take care of your mental health at the Virtual Well-being Hub!
Day Five – review
You’re almost done! The final day is for focusing on reviewing difficult concepts. I like to mind map and use flashcards to actively revise topics. Trust yourself – you know more than you realize!
Exam day
It’s the day of your exam! I hope you’re feeling extra confident because of all the hard work you’ve put in! The last things on your checklist should be your YU-card, stationery and water bottle.
Now you’re all set to ace your exams. All the very best!
P.S. Here’s a tracker you can use for your own five-day exam prep challenge!
