Today’s post for Scholar Talk Tuesday was submitted by Noah Sharp, a student at our Gateway campus.

I understand your pain.

Finals are coming up, and you don’t know what to do to get ready.

Here are six easy steps to be prepared:

  1. Sleep

Yes, believe it or not, sleep is super useful for your memory. Students are expected to get an average of 8 hours of sleep per night. Think of it as charging your batteries! More sleep means you have more energy which means you can pay attention more in class.

  1. Study

Ok, before you laugh and move on to the next one, here me out. Believe it or not, there has been a direct correlation between studying and better grades. The more you study, the better you do. And don’t worry, if you don’t like studying you can always just meet up with your friends and have a “study party.”

  1. Nutrients

This one is very important. Making sure you eat healthy foods a week up to finals will make you be more alert, focused, and awake. You wouldn’t want to do finals with only a five-hour energy inside you, would you? And besides, healthier food can actually make you happier in the long run too.

  1. Organization

Organization is essential for studying. How can you study for your precalculus final if your not sure if you left your review packet at home on your desk or if its at the bottom of your backpack? You can do this with a color-coding system, accordian folders, or maybe even a filing cabinet at your home.

  1. Have Fun!

Getting ready for finals can be a drag, trust me- I know from experience. You can create study games. Make those grammar rules into a mix and match game. Or maybe study with a buddy. Studying with friends gets you with the best of both worlds!

  1. Think positive thoughts

If you go into anything with a negative attitude, you’re not going to be successful in any way. Tests and finals fall into the “anything” category. When you go in to take the test, think with a positive attitude and realize that you actually know all the materiel on the assessment.

And don’t forget, these finals aren’t life or death. Just relax, take deep breaths, and realize that these finals are just tests of all the things you already know! They can be beaten and they can be taken stress-free.