Helpful hints for TU students worried about finals

Here is everything a TU student needs to know about how to ace finals

With final exams starting this week, don't be surprised to find students all over Cook Library studying during the last week of the term.
With final exams starting this week, don't be surprised to find students all over Cook Library studying during the last week of the term.

It’s the one word that college students all over the country fear: Finals. It’s those last tests or presentations that stand before students and their vacations and in some cases, their graduation.

Towson University students will be hitting the books extra hard this week as they prepare for finals week, which started on Wednesday, December 14 and ends on Tuesday, December 20. And with the last week of school ahead, it would be no surprise if students might freak out a little.

Look at the complete Towson University final exam schedule

To help prepare students for a week of cramming and test taking, here are some helpful hints for passing finals.

Liz Scarbrough, director of TU’s Academic Achievement Center, said that finals can be a stressful time. But she said being relaxed and prepared are the keys for success during the last week of the term.  

Scarborough also provided a list of helpful hints for students to help keep them a step ahead of their exams. 

  • “Make time for yourself!” 
  • “Identify where you are in the class and the potential outcomes of the final.  Acknowledge those outcomes and give yourself permission to focus on the final itself.” 
  • “Test yourself or your classmates. If you were the professor, what would you ask?  Using critical thinking to assess what’s important and evaluate someone else’s understanding can refocus your studying. Testing yourself helps you prioritize where you may need more time. Mixing up the practice that you are doing within a class can help you strengthen your ability to distinguish between closely related items later.”
  • “Learn the material as if to teach it, rather than to just prepare for a specific test.”
  • “Making connections to the material makes it easier to remember. Be patient with yourself. It takes time to master material and transfer new knowledge to your long-term memory.”
  • “While cramming may help you remember information briefly, don’t short-change yourself. The time you invest in studying over the semester is worth it. You will be able to better recall the information for use it future classes.”
  • “Think about what motivates you. Reward yourself for achieving the goals that you set.”

Check out all of the Academic Achievement Center’s study strategies

And while cramming isn’t a recommended form of studying, TU knows students will always want to get in some late night studying.

That’s why several buildings will be open past their normal hours. Cook Library will be open 24 hours, except on Friday, Dec. 16 and Saturday Dec. 17, when the building will close at 11:45 p.m. The College of Liberal Arts Building, a popular study area for students, will be open until 2 a.m. most nights.

Get the complete Towson University final exam building hours

TU would like to wish all its students and good luck during finals week, and a happy and hopefully relaxing winter break!