Test Taking: Finals (Part 2)

This is the second part of a three part series on preparing on for finals. Included are tips for the night before your exam and the morning of. The information in this post was compiled by Counseling Services at Lake Washington Institute of Technology with some additional information added by the post author.

The Night Before

• Be prepared (see Part 1 in this series). Do not cram or do last minute review.
• Get plenty of sleep.
• If you find yourself lying in bed, thinking about the test information over and over, unable to sleep, you can try the STOP technique. Hold your hand in front of your face, focus on it, and say the word stop out loud. You can also write down the things that are on your mind. Set a timer, though, and tell yourself that when it goes off, it is time to stop writing and go to sleep.
• Avoid use of drugs and alcohol.
• Exercise to relieve anxiety.
• Do an activity that helps you relax. Play a board game with your family, work on your car, bake or prepare a nice dinner, etc.
• Check your supplies.
• Be positive!
• Write yourself a note and tape it to your mirror so you also see it in the morning. Simply remind yourself that you know the material and are capable of doing well.

Testing Day

• Shower to wake up.
• Have a moderate, healthy breakfast.
• Wear comfortable clothes.
• Arrive early at the test site.
• Bring all materials you will need to class (bring extra pencils or pens).
• Do not discuss the subject with classmates while waiting.
• Choose a seat that is comfortable.
• If possible, choose the seat you normally sit in. Matching your testing environment to the one you learned the material in can help with memory.
• Turn off the cell phone.
• Use deep breathing to help you relax.
• Use positive affirmations ("I have done this before, I can do this again").

Many of us save our studying for the night before and morning of the test. This increases anxiety, uses less reliable memory, and leads us to "store" information in a disorganized way, making it harder to retrieve later. Study in the days leading up to the exam, and save the night before and morning of to do things that will help you relax.