Endless cups of coffee, nonstop hours of typing and a less-than-ideal amount of sleep for Bona’s students means finals week is near.
Students said whether they have to take exams or write final papers, they have many different studying and working techniques.
While some students said they simply read through their notes to study, others said they prefer to be more thorough in their study process.
“I like to make quizzes and note cards while also making study guides,” said Gabrielle Howard, a sophomore business management major. “I try to make things organized by color-coding topics and sections while also hand-writing them, so I retain the information more.”
Luc Pizzone, sophomore undecided business major, has a similar approach to his studies.
“I really like making flashcards and quizzing myself or having someone quiz me,” Pizzone said. “I also like going through my notes and having someone quiz me on the information after every chapter.”
For freshmen students, next week is their first week of college finals. However, Sean Sosa, freshman undeclared business major, said he’s not too nervous about it.
“I only have one actual exam, and the rest are papers,” said Sosa. “I prefer papers because less studying is required, and I am pretty good at writing, so it’s easier for me.”
Howard said during freshmen year many students aren’t really sure how to study for their exams, so there’s a lot of trial and error.
“My freshman year I made the mistake of over-preparing for my finals instead of studying for them,” said Howard. “Yes, my study guides were beautifully color-coded and organized, but I didn’t spend enough time going back and learning the information. I’ve learned to still take the time to make those study guides but also really study and understand the material instead of just trying to memorize it.”
Howard added she’s working hard to spread out her studies, so she isn’t bombarded with work right before her exams.
“I’ve been looking back at past tests if the final is cumulative, while also redoing past homework problems and assignments,” said Howard. “I’ve started to do a little bit each day, so I don’t get too overwhelmed and feel like I don’t have enough time to learn the material and have information overload.”
Both Sosa and Howard agreed that the library is a convenient place to study, despite the often-loud volume during finals week.
“I love finding a random place in the bookshelves of the library,” said Howard. “When I don’t need to use the Internet, I hide myself in the library for hours avoiding all social media distractions.”
kolbee14@bonaventure.edu
