Q&A for How to Create a Study Schedule to Prepare for Final Exams

Ideally, you should spend a couple of hours each week during the semester to review the material you covered in class that week. Then, as finals approach, try to begin studying for that final exam at least two weeks out.

Creating a study schedule is a great place to start. From there, review your notes, make a study guide, create flashcards, and take practice exams to help prepare yourself.

Cramming for a test is proven to be an ineffective test taking strategy. If you don't have much time to prepare for an exam, find a quiet place where you can focus, create a study guide or review for the course, and try taking a practice test.

Testing yourself (whether through flashcards or taking practice tests) is the most effective method for exam prep.

Find a quiet, neat place to study. This might mean a coffee shop or somewhere on campus that's free of your normal distractions. You should also put any electronics away - smartphones, mp3 players, tablets - anything that's easy to pick up and fiddle with when you should be studying.

Make a study schedule to follow for the remaining days before exams. Allocate enough time to each subject, but give more time to the subjects you have a harder time with.

Take a deep breath, relax, and surround yourself with calming, pleasant things. Think positive. Tell yourself that you will pass your exams. Don't worry about anything, and try not to think about what grades you might get or whether or not you will be able to finish studying.

Avoid all kinds of distractions. Focus on your main aim or objective of studying. Always keep in mind why you are studying.

Plan on spending more time studying the subjects you find most difficult and less time with the subjects you find easier. Try breaking it up into blocks of one hour for a difficult subject, followed by a half hour for an easier subject, see how that works for you, and adjust accordingly.

See How to Make a Study Timetable .

Prioritize the things you're least prepared for. Study the things that are hardest for you or that you are behind on first. If there's time left, then go over the easier things.

In a perfect world, you shouldn't, but that's not always possible. Make sure you schedule times where you can sleep during the day or early morning. When you start your study session, drink something with caffeine, like coffee or some tea. (Not too much, or else you won't be able to sleep later.) Make sure you have adequate lighting -- not just your computer screen. Besides that, apply good study habits such as organization, flash cards, etc.

Try to split up the time evenly among several days. For example, study for at least 15 minutes each day, depending on the complexity of the subject, how well your understand it, and how much time you have to study.

Start with practice tests for all subjects. Once you've done those, you will be able to tell which topics are still a problem for you. Figure out how much time you have each week to study, and prioritize the hardest topics/subjects. Take notes for topics you struggle with, and review those notes on a very regular basis (every other day is a good place to start).

Just tell yourself that you have to get it done. Be firm with yourself. Realize that if you procrastinate, you will not only waste valuable study time, you will also be in a mad scramble at the last minute trying to prepare for your finals. Remember, after finals, you will be on a break. Just remember to get it done so that you can feel good about studying and feel confident in the material you study. It will make it so much easier for your final exams to get your work and start studying a bit early so that you are confident and will get better grades than when you try to cram everything in your brain last minute.

Absolutely. Research shows that the quality of your sleep the night before an exam can affect memory consolidation and exam performance. Eat healthy, well-balanced meals, and avoid heavy foods that make you groggy or lethargic. Avoid caffeine and sugary foods going into the exam as well. They leave you vulnerable to unpredictable crashes, and you could suddenly find yourself feeling very poorly right when you need to be at your best.

Either work in a quiet place where you cannot access a television, like a library, or disconnect your television so that if you have the urge to turn it on, it will not turn on. Put your phone downstairs or in another room when you're at home studying, or put it in your bag and turn off notifications so you're not distracted by it.

Sleeping 8 hours should be sufficient. If you get tired, plan for a 20-30 minute mid-day nap.

Getting to the top of your class is a long term goal; you need to study a lot every single day. Talk to the other people at the top of the class and ask for advice. Ask the teacher for help if you need it, and take advantage of any extra credit opportunities. Use a planner and record every upcoming test, assignment, project, etc. so you always know what is due and when.

Listen to the whole song before you study or just take a short break to listen to that song in order to get rid of it in your head. A song is often stuck in your head because you can only remember certain lines and not the entire lyrics. Your brain is struggling to finish the thought, and listening to the whole song can help.

Try various methods to find a couple that work best for you. Lots of people find mindmaps, flashcards, charts, and diagrams useful. If you find your best methods for learning, then you'll be on your way to efficient studying!

You should probably start by taking some practice tests. It is also good to ask a couple of classmates to meet up for a study session and review with them. Try looking over all the notes and sheets your teacher/professor has provided you with. This should help you understand and learn the material as much as you can before the exam. If none of this works, you should go to your professor/teacher and let them know, and chances are they will have some advice for you or some extra study materials.

Find a quiet place with no distractions. Don't listen to music, for as a general rule, it tends to distract you, although classical music can help some people. Get rid of distractions in your working area, like other papers or general clutter. Get rid of your phone while you are studying - put it on silent and in your bag, or if you can, in another room. Try to make sure there is nothing in your study area that will divide your attention when studying.

You will have done your best, and that's what counts. If you have studied and revised hard, then it's not your fault; you've tried hard and done your best.