How to Prepare Yourself for Final Exam Week

by Yazan Alkharabsheh

Since we are approaching the end of the semester and are facing an incoming wave of final exams, I saw this as a perfect opportunity to motivate and give advice for success.

It is imperative in logic that any student at any stage of study may face some difficulties. It is important to realize that there is no justification or need to exaggerate these difficulties and to allow them to be invoked as a handicap that

could limit a student’s vitality, activity, and self-confidence in being successful. It is natural for any student who has spent their whole semester making a great effort to prepare for exams to be afraid and worried about their effort. This fear is normal, provided it’s used as a motivator to study and do well on exams.

Here is some advice to enhance the ability of students to study and navigate future tasks successfully. Try to get to sleep early the day before each exam. Studying late at night can reduce a student’s capacity to retain information, and that lack of sleep reduces the ability to think and work the next morning. ‏The body needs a number ranging from 6-8 hours to rest and sleep. Every student should prioritize these hours at the front of the night and come back to wake up early around sunrise. Waking up early to study is essential since the brain is the most productive and capable of absorbing information. Also, it is important to make meals light and healthy by eating more vegetables and fresh fruits. Additionally, make sure to stay away from the habit of lying on a seat and raising your feet, or stretching out comfortably in bed while studying, since this may lower your capacity to study. So, try to sit in front of a desk with your feet fixed on the ground. Most importantly, keep away from overusing any substances such as coffee to increase hours of vigilance. Substances of this kind after a period of use, reduce concentration during studying and during the process of exam taking. When studying for exams, read notes and lectures carefully and summarize readings. It is also extremely helpful to make study guides and visual aids to help review and memorize.

Every student must know that failure to achieve a certain grade in the past is not the end of the world. There is always a good side to learn from for every failure. Try to learn from past failures and improve your selves as students to do the best you could possibly do and achieve your goals. Life is like a glass of water, it can be half full and half empty. Our job is to use our experience from failure to fill that empty half of the glass with new successes.

I am confident that UMSL ambassadors are able to accomplish any task if they put their minds to it. The fact that you are all UMSL ambassadors means that you are successful students who are capable of great accomplishments. I truly believe that you will all do great. So, work hard and fill that empty half of the glass to the brim.