By Tierra Doughty, Contributing Writer
Whether someone is a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior majoring in the arts, humanities, the sciences, or technology, one important concern is finding a proficient way to study for final exams.
For humanities and art majors, finals are different as knowing important time periods, the significance of historical events and movements, and being able to analyze their impact is important.
Professor Pamela Decius, an instructor of humanities at Saint Leo University, said, “Studio arts and humanities are a little different in approach- one being much more hands-on/product-based, but know terms, styles, period.”
For humanities classes, creating a timeline, to see where pieces fall in the larger picture of historical, political, social, and personal context, really helps create a logical order or categorizing of your studying.
“If everything is somehow connected, the connection can help us remember/recall things about the piece,” said Decius.
Dr. Passard Dean, department chair and professor of accounting in the Donald R. Tapia School of Business at Saint Leo, offered study advice that has helped him during his own college experience, and that he wants to pass on to his accounting students.
“The first thing I would recommend is to know the definitions and understand the concepts behind those definitions,” said Dean.
Dividing study time into manageable chunks and scheduling a short break between those chunks help with retaining information.
“Study in 20-to-25-minute increments. Do not study too much at once. We call that cramming, and students usually cram during the last couple of days,” said Dean.
Mathematics is one area that requires much practice. Like the technology field, mathematics is about logical problem-solving when given certain information which can be time-consuming to study.
Dr. Monika Kiss, an associate professor of mathematics at Saint Leo, said,
“My first piece of advice is to look back at the whole semester, use Thanksgiving break, do a little bit of studying every day, and take notes for every section we covered. Write down the appropriate formulas that were used in each section.”
Being an attentive and active listener in class is crucial when pertaining to students’ learning.
“Pay attention to what your teachers tell you. They’re going to be naturally focused on certain areas from the semester that may appear on the final, so listen to those cues,” said Kiss. “I also do not recommend students to use programs that tell them the answer.”
It is important to thoroughly read and understand problems before attempting to solve them.
“Sometimes people do not understand the problem,” said Dr. Okey Igbonagwam, an assistant professor of computer information systems at Saint Leo. “How to solve a problem is first understanding the problem, then know the requirements of the problem you are trying to solve. The rest will be a piece of cake.”
Mathematics and computing share many similar qualities when it comes to solving problems.
“For example, most students do not like solving word problems in mathematics because they are often verbose and overwhelming. Determine what you are required to do by looking at the nouns and the verbs that complement those nouns,” said Igbonagwam.
When preparing for final exams, procrastination along with all-nighters is not recommended because of their ineffectiveness.
Antonella Ameijeiras, a freshman majoring in business management, said, “I use a lot of flashcards to pinpoint the iconic words that are mainly used.”
“As college students, finals season can be stressful. So relaxing and getting good amounts of sleep is important,” said Ameijeiras.
Emily Pierrard, a business management senior, also emphasized the usefulness of flashcards for learning important definitions.
“Notecards are the way to go. I just study whenever I can to get a head start. I do about six full hours of studying, just going over my course material,” said Pierrard. “I will be using my textbooks, or study guides that my teachers provide as my primary resources during study sessions.”
Studying course materials in bulk may work for some students, but others prefer to study in short intervals.
Dylan Trivedi, a junior majoring in criminal justice, said, “I’ll be studying one hour at a time, and then take a 10-to-20-minute break. I will study for three to four hours a day and use what we have done in class, my textbooks, and any papers I have used to write in class.”
Like Trivedi, Ariel Green, sophomore majoring in elementary education, said, “30-minute study increments and breaks work for me because they help me to remain focused on the content I am studying.”
The Center for Academic Vision and Excellence (C.A.V.E.) is a great resource for students to utilize when preparing for finals. The C.A.V.E. is located on the first floor of Kirk Hall. Students have access to free tutoring with P.AL. coaches for a variety of subjects and no appointments are necessary.
Eternity Rodriguez, freshman majoring in psychology, said, “I go to the C.A.V.E when I am not understanding something, I am unsure of something, or to make sure my papers are okay.”
For students who are taking final exams or doing research papers in place of exams, time management is key.
“Thanksgiving break is an important time to focus on trying to get things done, catch up on assignments, go over materials that may appear on the final exams the week after,” said Alexandra Joseph, senior majoring in criminal justice with a minor in political science.
Students may also keep in mind that their professors are always there to assist them with any material they are struggling with.
