During Thanksgiving break, I tried to get a majority of my homework done, which included final cases, final presentations, and final papers. Having these other requirements out of the way makes it easier to clear my head for final exams. It’s hard to believe they are just around the corner, and there are only a couple of weeks to prepare. I would like to think that by now I have a good grip on how to best prepare myself for finals week. So, I thought I would share the advice I have learned over the years and see if these preparations are useful for an MBA student as well.

#1 – Separate final exam study materials by class and use your professors’ study guide as a checklist for everything you should have in the class pile. If the professor has not given you a study guide, do not be afraid to shoot him or her an email requesting some guidance for what you should study (it can’t hurt).

#2 – Find a quiet place to study other than the library. The main library can get extremely busy during finals week, which means that the noise level is not ideal. Also, your incredible popularity will cause people to constantly stop by and chat. The only reason I would suggest studying in the main library is if you reserve a study room in advance. Otherwise, scope out a new turf, such as, the law library (sometimes non-law students have to sneak in during finals), Panera, the North Haven Campus, the town library, random empty classrooms in Tator Hall, etc.

#3 – Study with a group. This one’s tough, because it can be easy for group study sessions to turn into group talking-about-nonsense sessions. Only study with people who are interested in learning the material and kindly decline studying with others. They should understand your need to have a productive study session, and if they don’t, they were probably not the right people to study with anyway.

#4 – Know that you are a human being and you need to take a break. Shop for healthy snacks beforehand, so you won’t have to go far to recharge. Or, plan a couple of study breaks with friends to help you budget your time more wisely. Don’t get caught up in studying every minute, there is only so much your brain can absorb without taking a little time off. You will just frustrate yourself.

#5 – Avoid daydreaming. This might be the most difficult one to master, but it’s one of the most important tips I can offer. The method that has given me the most success: ask yourself questions about the material as you are studying it. This will keep your head in the game instead of thinking about the show you’re going to watch later or who is left to buy gifts for on your holiday list. If you don’t trust yourself to do this, have a friend check up on your progress after a couple of hours. Remember – the more you discourage daydreaming, the faster your studying will be complete!

#6 – Have a friend change your social networking passwords. I had my roommate change mine for a few days during finals week, and it made me realize how much time I wasted on Facebook between my computer and the application on my Blackberry. Don’t trust yourself to restrict your own social networking use--trust me, you’ll cave in.

#7 – Talk about the material in conversation. Discussing it will keep it fresh in your memory, and might make studying…even…fun? My friends and I use Statistics terms in conversation in silly ways, but it actually helps us remember what they mean. “Let’s hope the variance between grades is such that we receive a curve after grading!” Better yet, teach the material to someone (like your parents, or a friend in a different program), this will help you determine if you really understand the material.

#8 – Don’t lose confidence in yourself. I have a vendetta with anything math-related, and I often have to remind myself that I can understand anything if I work hard enough. Remind yourself often that someone believed in you enough to let you in the program, so you should pay that same respect to yourself.

-Julia Notar-Francesco

Julia graduated in 2010 from Quinnipiac University with an undergraduate degree in Marketing. Subscribe to our feed for more posts from Julia!