The Indiana University Study Tips

I'm in Bloomington, Indiana, visiting my ailing stepmother.

Went out for some dinner last night, and read the student newspaper. Excerpts/tips from an article on "Finals Produce Stress."

1. "...students say they would love to get an early start on their heavy workload....
'I’d like to study early, but I don’t always do,' [Sarah] Burstein said."

TIP 1: The key to studying earlier is to avoid waiting until it is late. There is only do, or do not. No try.

2. "Usually, an early start on studying keeps her from being overwhelmed with material before finals week arrives, [Burstein] said.

'The key,” she said, “is actually going to class.'”

TIP 2: I don't really have anything to add to that. The key is, in fact, actually going to class. Young Sarah is clearly a good adviser.

3. "The decision to “cram” for a test can sometimes lead to numerous all-nighters filled with massive amounts of caffeine. Junior Jessica Tubbs said she usually takes the route of cramming for tests instead of getting an early start on her workload.

'I haven’t even started studying,” Tubbs said. “I plan to study for finals in the order that I take them. You kind of get the hang of how you need to study as an upper-classman.'”

TIP 3: Now, this tip does require more experience; you'd have to be an upper-class student, with years of finals under your belt, to see this. So, the tip is this: if you haven't studied at all, and your finals are not all scheduled for the same time, then you should study for your finals in the order that they are scheduled. In particular, it is rarely useful to study for a final after you have taken it.

(Please note that in order to KNOW when your finals are scheduled, you probably already had to act on TIP 2, and go to class at least a couple of times to get the syllabus).

The article is full of stuff like this. I really can't do it justice.