Hello Math Majors,
I hope you are doing well as the semester comes to a close. I know that this can be a stressful time, so I want to give you some helpful tips when it comes to studying for final exams. Please don't forget about your resources during this time of year, and please know that your course instructors want to see you succeed!
Final exams can be very stressful things, and I'll admit that I was terrible at studying for them. The Princeton Review has a great article outlining to how prepare for final exams, and here are the key points:
1. Make a finals game plan.
2. Start early.
3. Study in this order: a) definitely b) probably c) might be on the final.
4. Give yourself more time to study for your toughest classes.
5. Form a study group.
6. Talk it out.
7. Get creative with study aids.
8. Study your notes.
9. Quiz yourself.
10. Make sleep a priority. (DO NOT CRAM ALL NIGHT LONG!)
11. Take five.
12. Brain food is real.
You can read the full article at https://www.princetonreview.com/college-advice/how-to-study-for-finals for more information about each of the above 12 points.
Here are some additional things to keep in mind for exam day. First, make sure that you plan for plenty of time to get to your final exam so that you can be on time. We have had good weather so far this December, but that doesn't mean that we won't have snow on the ground come exam time (although the long range forecasts make that seem unlikely). Second, always bring more materials to your exam than you will think you will need. A final exam is a terrible time to run out of pencil lead, pen ink, or scratch paper, and it would be bad time for the batteries in your calculator to die without replacements. Remember Murphy's Law! Three, DO NOT CRAM ALL NIGHT LONG for your final exam in any class! I almost never pays off to do this, and you won't remember any of the important information in the long term. Lastly, I remember to have a restroom break before your final exam starts.
I hope this tips help you have a successful final exam week. Please contact your course instructor as soon as possible if something happens that could prevent you from taking your final exam. The worse thing that you can do is not contacting your course instructor if an extraordinary event or circumstance is going to prevent you from sitting for the exam. Things happen, and more often than not, an alternative will be available.
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Best wishes, Doug
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CAPS Undergraduate BIPOC Therapy Group Available
Counseling and Psychological Services has a Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Therapy group that currently meets on Wednesdays from 3:00-4:30pm on Zoom. This group is designed for undergraduate students of color to offer and receive support from peers as they develop self-awareness and insight on issues such as academics, imposter syndrome, micro-aggressions, isolation, loneliness, adjustment to college, and more. Since this is classified as a therapy group, each group member needs to be an official patient at CAPS, which consists of having an open file and having completed an Initial Evaluation appointment. At the initial evaluation appointment, students can share with the clinician that they are interested in the Undergrad BIPOC group, and the clinician can connect interested students with therapy group facilitators, Falesa and Derrick. The CAPS phone number is 402-472-7450.