Bama Online’s Guide To Effective Study Habits Before Finals Week


Finals week can feel daunting, but with research-backed strategies tailored to your study habits and level of preparation, you can boost your performance without resorting to stressful all-nighters. 


Whether you’ve reviewed material throughout the term or need to make the most of limited time, Bama Online brings you expert tips to help you conquer your finals.


For the Consistent Studier: Enhance Your Preparation

If you’ve kept up with course readings, attended lectures, and reviewed notes as you go, you’re in a great position to succeed. Here’s how to build on your consistent efforts:


  • Use Active Recall: Don’t just reread notes. Test yourself on the material by quizzing yourself, creating (and actually using) flashcards, or working through practice questions. Decades of educational research show that active recall improves long-term memory and can increase exam performance by up to 30% compared to simply reviewing notes.

  • Practice Spaced Repetition: Instead of marathon sessions, break your study time into shorter blocks over several days. This technique is used to overcome the brain’s “forgetting curve,” a phenomenon first identified in the 1800s in which each time you review your study material, the amount of time it takes you to forget what you learned decreases.

  • Teach What You Know: Try explaining tough concepts to classmates or friends. Teaching others is a proven way to reinforce your own understanding—if you can clarify an idea to someone else, you’re much more likely to remember it when it counts.


For the Last-Minute Crammer: Maximize What Time You Have


If you feel like you’re behind on your class material, you can still make meaningful progress with focused strategies:


  • Identify Key Topics: Review your syllabus, class notes, and any review materials to prioritize high-impact topics likely to be on the exam.

  • Active Problem Practice: Especially for classes with formulas or problem sets, work through as many practice problems and sample tests as you can find. 

  • Chunk and Conquer: Break material into manageable sections. Tackle one segment at a time and perform quick self-tests at the end of each.


General Finals Study Tips for All Students


Here are some tried-and-true finals study tips that should help you regardless of how much work you’ve put in over the semester.


  • Establish a Realistic Study Schedule: Use a calendar to plan your sessions so you cover every topic you need to before your exams. 

  • Avoid Cramming: Last-minute massed learning increases stress and is less effective for retention. Space your review sessions to enhance learning outcomes.

  • Use All Available Resources: Bama Online students have access to tools like Brainfuse for on-demand tutoring, writing labs for quick feedback, as well as academic coaching to help form actionable study plans.

  • Connect with Professors and Peers: Office hours can clarify difficult topics and direct you to what’s most likely to be tested. Study groups facilitate discussion, fill in knowledge gaps, and keep motivation high.

  • Harness Practice Testing: Research consistently highlights practice tests as one of the highest-impact strategies. It both simulates test conditions and helps improve recall.


Don’t Forget Your Well-Being: Tips For Managing Finals Week Mental Health



Make the Most of Bama Online Resources


Remember, Bama Online offers:


  • 24/7 online tutoring and writing support for immediate help with tough subjects or feedback on essays.

  • Academic coaching, skill-building, and review resources so you don’t have to navigate finals week alone.


By combining evidence-based study strategies with the robust academic resources available through Bama Online, you can approach finals week prepared, confident, and ready to excel.


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