Finals Crunch Time: Three staffers share their unique study techniques for finals season

As finals are approaching on Dec. 18, 19 and 20, students are asking each other “What are you doing to study?” or “How am I going to get an A in this class?”

Well lucky for the East student body, many Harbinger staffers have their own tips and tricks for finals. Here are three different study techniques geared towards helping you succeed with studying for finals.

Whether junior Emmerson Winfrey drives to Panera in Corinth Square or Starbucks in the Village, she finds studying in an environment other than her home a more effective way to prepare for finals. 

According to the University of the People, going to the library or a place other than your house provides students with less distractions and therefore increases academic activity.

There are many places that students can go to study. If you live in the Corinth area, places like Panera, Hattie’s Coffee, Starbucks and the Johnson County Library are all great options. If you live north of East, Front Range Cafe, Hi Hat Coffee and Urban Prairie Coffee are places available for a calm and distraction-free study environment.

Going into his fourth year of finals, senior Greyson Imm has found a finals-studying method that works for him — the Pomodoro Technique.

The Pomodoro Technique is a method of studying developed by author Francesco Cirillo in the ‘80s that involves studying for a short period of time with even shorter breaks in between the sessions.

To start the Pomodoro Technique, the student sets a timer for 25 minutes and begins studying. After the alarm sounds, a new timer for a five-minute break starts. This process repeats three more times. On the fourth break, the student takes a longer 30-minute break and starts over again.

This method helps with time management and decreases mental fatigue that comes with hours upon hours of uninterrupted studying. This method also aids students to span out their studying over multiple days instead of cramming the night before.

If you’re a student who struggles with staying focused while studying, set a 25-minute timer and see what the Pomodoro Technique does for you.

Once finals season hits, sophomore Paige Bean brings out every single one of her folders full of coursework from the semester. Other students may have thrown away the dozens of worksheets and busy work from the semester, but Paige has been saving them for this moment — finals week.

When searching for study materials, look no further than the folder inside your backpack.

Worksheets that you complete throughout the semester offer the critique that you need when it comes to finals season. For example, if you look back at your biology worksheets and find a common pattern of missing gene expression questions, you know to focus on that unit during your studying.

Even if you did throw your physical worksheets in the trash can, Canvas worksheets are still available for study sessions.

Looking at previous commentary from your teachers can provide you with your own self-made study guide available right at your fingertips.