How To Ace Your Final Exams

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1) Use a Planner

I joke and compare my planner to my Bible. Planners can be so helpful for laying out upcoming and long-term assignments, especially for visual learners. I recommend one with a cute design which will get you excited to use it. I’ve been using the Large 17-month Lily Pulitzer planner for years and absolutely love it!

2) Snack

As silly as it sounds, it is very important to snack while studying for finals. Some of the best snacks are grapes, edamame, apples, smoothies, nuts, healthy chocolate bars, eggs, and protein. These will stabilize your brain energy levels and maintain your focus. I personally can never focus if I’m hungry, so I always like to have snacks handy or pack some if I go to the library. Nicotine, caffeine, and sugar or fat-filled treats might give you a quick burst of dopamine, but this is only a temporary boost of energy.

3) Drink Water

Studies show that students who drink water during an exam score an average of 5% higher than those without. The human brain is 75% water but has no ability to store any of the water it uses. The brain requires a constant flow of liquid to carry out every conscious function, including long-term and short-term memory retention. Therefore, if we deprive our brain of water, our cells cannot function properly, affecting the brain’s ability to maintain concentration.

4) Get 7-9 Hours of Sleep Per Night

Sleep helps one focus throughout the day. It also plays a role in the consolidation of memory, which is essential for learning new material. I usually get less than the recommend hours of sleep, but before an exam, I always make sure I’ve slept for at least 8 hours. I also try to get 8 hours of sleep every day while studying for finals because of the health benefits. Sometimes an hour of sleep will actually benefit you more than an hour of late-night cramming.

5) “Block Studying”

This was introduced to me in 9th grade by my substitute biology teacher. Study an hour for the first final you have coming up. Take a 30-minute break. Study another hour for the second final you have coming up. Take another 30-minute break. Go back to the first subject and keep alternating between these two until you are confident in the material or have finished your final paper. I have been doing this for six years and find this way of studying extremely helpful. Due to the breaks, I am able to keep immense focus during my hours of studying instead of procrastinating. Some people have varying alterations of this method such as studying for 45 minutes and taking a 15-minute break. There was also a study conducted that found that the highest-performing 10% of employees work for a consecutive 52 minutes and take 17-minute break. Play around with different times and see what works best for you.

6) “Scrap Studying”

I’ve been doing this for several years. “Scrap studying” is basically conducting a “brain dump” on a sheet of paper by writing out terms, formulas, problems, and everything you need to know about the upcoming test or quiz. Everything that you incorrectly jotted down or forgot, you would mark in red pen. This visually represents how much information you have already retained and how much you have left to memorize. I used to do this on sheets of paper but now I write all this information down in a note pad where I can look back at my work and then easily tear out pages after my exam.

7) Use Post-It Notes

I like to stick a post-it note with an inspiring message somewhere where I can see it when I am studying. I usually like to write “How Bad Do You Want It?” on it because this mindset makes me work harder and helps me visualize my long and short-term goals. I am very motivated by a high GPA and finding a high-paying job in the future. Therefore, this message helps me put in the work for little assignments now that will make a difference in my academic career in the future.

8) Wear Eye Black

I like to put on eye black below my eyes and call it “war paint” to motivate myself to study for my subjects and pretend that I am entering an academic war. There is no scientific evidence behind this working, but it’s fun to see my friends wear it with me while we all study hard for our finals. However, you might get some funny looks at the library. 

9) Sleep with Notes Under Your Pillow

This is a superstitious tradition I do that was passed down to me from my mom when she was in college. I sometimes put down my study guides or notebooks under my pillow before I go to bed so that during the night all this material would sink in. This is not supported by any scientific evidence, it’s just one of my study traditions.

10) Find Encouragement from Studious People

Having a supportive network of friends that are also driven by their goals is extremely helpful. When my friends are driven by their passions, this makes me want to be passionate about mine. I like having supportive people by my side that encourage me when my workload can get overwhelming. I also love going to the library and seeing others work because this makes me want to be more productive about my own work.


Good luck with finals everyone; I know that you will crush them!


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