The end of April means college students are one step closer to final exams. While focusing on completing classes and final projects is important, now is the time for students to begin studying for final exams as well.

Lysbet Murray, assistant director at the University of Delaware’s Office of Academic Enrichment, has worked with students over the years to help them create study strategies for success. She said the key is time management. No matter how busy a student’s schedule is, she encourages them to write everything out on a calendar and identify the gaps to squeeze in time to study.

Once you find the time, you want to make the most of it. Murray said one of the biggest mistakes she sees students make when studying, especially first-years, is trying to memorizing material instead of really learning it.

“Generally the kinds of questions they get here are much more challenging,” Murray said. “They’re dealing with how and why questions instead of what, which makes it a challenge for a lot of people who just never had to think that way before. So professors are asking for applications of concepts which requires a completely different kind of studying.”

There are many different ways to manage studying. Below are three of Murray’s recommendations for how to approach studying for finals.

Reformatting

For all of these strategies, the goal is to move what you’re learning from short to long-term memory. To achieve this, you want to ideally give yourself a couple of weeks so the information can make that transition. Waiting to study a few days prior to an exam is risky, because you will likely need to reteach yourself the concepts and may struggle to remember.

Reformatting means altering the material from the form it was originally presented in. If a professor teaches mainly through a textbook and powerpoint slides, reformat the material into charts, tables, graphs, pictures, diagrams etc. This helps you move away from just memorizing because it challenges you to think of the material in a new way.

Distributed studying

The idea behind this strategy is to change things up. If you have a three hour window to study, you can start out studying math until you tire and then switch to English. Murray recommends limiting your studies of each subject to one hour. Then spend the next hour on a different topic.

This is a useful method of studying because it forces you to continuously return to the material. Each time you return to a subject, pick up where you left off with a short review and then dive into the section/chapter you want to focus on for that session.

“It gives you an opportunity to say ‘okay I am in control of this chunk of information,’ ” Murray said. “ ‘This connects with this chunk I’ve done yesterday. This needs to help me build towards my understanding of what’s coming up next week.’ So you need to always put it in context.”

Using the brain in different ways ultimately helps with stamina. There is not necessarily a limit on how much time you should study, but Murray notes to be mindful of when you feel hungry or fatigued and listen to your body when it needs a break. All-nighters don’t usually work for this reason — at some point you become too tired to process any more information. Generally, she recommends studying two to three hours per credit each week.

Quiz yourself

Quizzing yourself encompasses talking through the material and anticipating the questions a professor might ask you on an exam. The point is to test your true understanding of the material. Talk to yourself, a friend or even a pet about a concept and see if you can actually explain it. Tools like creating mnemonic devices, associations, patterns etc. can help. The goal is to paraphrase the material in your own words.

If there are smaller points you are struggling with, using online study tools like Khan Academy for a quick review may help. If further assistance is needed, UD’s Office of Academic Enrichment offers tutoring for all subjects.

Another way to test your knowledge is to literally make an exam and take it. If you know the test will be multiple choice or short answer, make the tests in that format. Using existing quiz making tools like Quizlet can make the process simple.

All three of these strategies encourages you to engage and interact with the material, which ultimately helps with learning.

You can do all the studying in the world, but you’ll only be so prepared for an exam. As part of the time management process, decide what subjects need more attention over others and make sure you give the most time/effort to the subject where it is needed. Studying aside, sleeping and eating healthy foods are also a necessary part of the path to success.

UD’s Office of Academic Enrichment will offer a number of workshops over the next few weeks to help students prepare for finals. The office will hold workshops on test taking Monday, April 23 and Thursday, April 26 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the office, 148-150 South College Ave (corner of South College Ave and Amstel Ave). Two additional workshops on preparing for finals will be held Monday, April 30 and Thursday, May 3 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the same location. For those that cannot attend, workshops are also offered on the Office of Academic Enrichment website.

About the Office of Academic Enrichment

The mission of the Office of Academic Enrichment (OAE) is to empower students to develop the academic skills and strategies that will pave the way for future success. Every student can benefit from the support we offer — struggling students gain confidence and see great improvement, and high-achieving students become even stronger.

The office offers a number of free services for students including group tutoring, drop-in tutoring, supplemental instruction and much more. Whether you are struggling, looking for some guidance, or just want help getting organized for finals do not hesitate to reach out.