10 Studying Tips to Help You Survive Finals

If you try to study in your room, you risk accidental napping, flipping through Netflix for just "five more minutes," or doing literally anything else to distract yourself. Find a good place to study like a library or a lounge on campus that doesn't have things to deter your focus.

Figure out how much studying you need to do (how long it's going to take and what exactly you need to know) and write a timeline. If you have to remember 100 terms and you have 20 days, study five terms everyday. If you have an essay, figure out when you want the outline and first draft done, and hold yourself accountable (or better yet, find a friend who has no problem harassing you about it).

One thing I've found super helpful when trying to remember things is making a few flashcards after every class. Keep them with you every day and run through them when you have time, like when you're waiting for the bus. This spreads out studying, and since you're doing it in small increments, you'll barely even notice you're doing it!

If you know people in your class, it might be helpful to study with them and talk about the topic you need to know for your exam. Just be careful you don't get distracted and end up talking about your professors weird laugh or cute smile for three hours!

Just like you wouldn't work out for three hours straight, take studying breaks to let your brain absorb the information and recharge. Just set a timer for about an hour and then take a break to eat a snack and stretch so your back doesn't start to hurt.

If you're writing a research paper, something that's helped me is making an outline based on the rubric my professor gives me. Then I find sources and put in the quotes that are helpful or relevant and cite them in the correct format (including the works cited page). Then I write around the quotes and paraphrase some of them.

If you're making a study guide, I usually organize the information into three to five categories and physically write out the information. Then I make practice tests to take throughout my studying process and I take one the day before the exam to see where I'm at.

If your campus has tutoring in the library, writing help, or if your professor has office hours, go to them! The more help you can get, the better. If you're confused about something or just missed a few commas, they should catch it for you.

Just reading can be boring. Draw pictures, write on big white boards, use post its on a wall and organize them into categories — just mix it up a bit. You might remember a chart you drew more than you remember a page in your textbook.

If you don't sleep and eat, you wont remember everything you studied. You're going to be too busy thinking about how tired and hungry you are. Your body can't function without food and sleep, so always take care of yourself!