4 ways to prepare for final exams

For students, it’s that time of the year again when you have tons of exams to prepare for and many papers to finish.

Do you have a strategy to get through this busy and stressful time?

The Signal investigated and came up with these helpful tips.

Find the right spot

Some people like to study in a packed library, while others prefer solitude. If that’s the case, the Wallace McCain Learning Commons or the Kellogg Library Learning Commons (CHEB) might be a good choice for you. The second floor of the CHEB building is open until 3 a.m. until Dec.18.

Get connected

Tutors or teaching assistants are great resources to help with an exam.

“TAs are often a great source of information because usually they are upper-year individuals and they usually are in a similar program as you so they can also offer additional tips or tricks that I can’t because I’m not in their program,” said Kristofer Coolen, a tutor with the studying for success program at Dalhousie University. He has been a tutor for four years.

There’s also the learning centre at Dalhousie or the international student centre if English is not your first language.

Talk to the librarian

This is a great tip for students who are doing a liberal arts program where you might have a lot of papers to write. A senior researcher or librarian can help you be more efficient in your research by, among other things, pointing out the right database you should use.

“Sometimes when you are searching for information and you are not finding what you need, that’s where the library can come in,” said Jennifer Adams, the librarian at the University of King’s College.

Take five

Put the books down at times and allow yourself to play.

“Just taking some time with the art or doing some colouring or just doing something creative can lower your stress level,” said Adams.

The five libraries on the Dalhousie campus, as well as the library at King’s, have a painting kit for students during the final week.