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Tips for studying for finals without losing your head.

Oh, yeah, and the academic part – that’s why you’re technically there in the first place, right?

With all the constant chaos surrounding your collegiate career, it can be tough to focus on academics and classes. But getting good grades and succeeding academically is paramount; aside from just keeping a high GPA to satisfy your own standards, it’s essential for financial aid, keeping the parents at bay, and most of all, building a future career that excludes slinging fast food. Here are some tips to ensure A’s.

Be organized

Being organized is possibly the most crucial thing you can do to boost your grades and buy yourself some precious sanity. Pick up a cute little planner and make it your bible. Unless you’re heading to a bar or a frat party, don’t leave home without it. Mark all significant dates on your calendar, like exams and review sessions. Take a few minutes each week (c’mon, pull your self away from Facebook for five minutes, mama) to review the week ahead. Block off sections of time in advance for studying. Mark in your flurry of social commitments as well so you can manage your time. Make to-do lists daily, and rely on them to structure your days. Keep your oh-so-sexy notebooks and binders sectioned off for your different courses, and use folders to organize all your handouts and readings. A three-hole punch can be a wise investment- less than the cost of a pedi- and slide your review sheets, past tests and course outlines alongside your notes. For super-geeky organization, try color-coding things on your calendar.

Nix the study dates

While studying with your clan can be amusing, it most likely evolves into a gossip session or a beer run. Study on your own, and find a quiet and peaceful place to call home. Scope out a hidden nook in the back of a library and make it your designated study spot.

Allocate your time wisely

Make your time count. Figure out just how much time you can spend socializing, studying and doing other necessary activities, like showering and eating. Be realistic about your time, and allocate your time wisely. Although going with the flow is optimal for a Cali surfer beach bum, it’s not an ideal attitude for a college student.

Network in classes

Be a little Suzy Sunshine and make friends in all of your classes. Exchange digits with a few select reliable pals in each class. It’ll come in handy when you have a question about an upcoming test or need to borrow notes after oversleeping.

Don’t rely on cramming

While cramming is necessary in a pinch, don’t rely on it. Try to study gradually- for an hour or two each day. Its way easier and more effective than a 14-hour caffeine induced all-nighter before your big Poli-Sci exam.

Know when to say no

While you’ll be tempted to accept every invite for shared pizzas, bar crawls and quirky costume parties know your limits and know when to say no. It’s fine to go out for drinks on a Friday night, but heading to a friend’s dorm for cocktails at midnight when you have an 8 am presentation isn’t such a Einstein-esque idea.

Take advantage

Study centers, tutoring programs and centers for academic success are there to help. Take advantage of them! Suck up their knowledge and assistance. These places can help you study, explain a confusing mathematical concept or prepare you for a test.

Get off on the right foot

Implement good study habits from the start. Don’t keep procrastinating and shrugging off deadlines. Its way harder to come out of a slump than it is to maintain positive study habits consistently.

Take note

Take notes. It sounds simple, but many of us become lazy and end up borrowing someone else’s notes. But taking your own notes serves a multitude of purposes. When you take your own notes, you’re actually going to retain more, since you heard the information, interpreted it and physically transcribed it. While stealing notes from someone else seems easier, it can be confusing or downright impossible to read someone else’s handwriting or follow their flow of chosen key words. Plus, taking your own notes keeps you alert and concentrated on what the instructor is saying, instead of daydreaming about the dark-haired hottie three seats up.

Get artsy

Don’t just jot down all the important topics outlined in a lecture – draw graphs, tables, stick figures, landscapes, whatever helps you understand and remember important info. Using arrows, stars and bullets will only enhance and help the data to ‘stick’.

Be religious about the course outline

Course outlines are the key to acing a class. Don’t just toss it to the bottom of your oversized hobo bag – read it several times and keep it with it’s corresponding class binder or notebook. Acing a class is not rocket science – it’s carefully laid out in the class outline. Figure out what percentages of your grade are composed by tests, papers, participation and so forth. Get a feel for the structure and flow of the course so there are no surprises.

Be a test-taking pro

Don’t just show up on test day with your perfectly manicured fingers crossed. Take practice tests, learn process of elimination and take a campus seminar on test taking. If you suffer from test anxiety, don’t just shrug it off as a case of nerves – try some relaxation methods like breathing and meditation to clear your head.

Study at your peak times

Study according to your strengths and peak times. If you’re a night owl whose brain doesn’t start fully functioning until after 10 PM, make sure you’re scheduling your study times for then. If you’re a super-chipper early riser whose mind is clear in the early AM hours, pencil in your course work for the pre-sunrise hours.

Participate

Participate in class discussions. Don’t just sit slouched in class, oblivious to the world while texting suggestively with your new crush. Participate and make your voice heard. Not only will your professor dig you, but you will actually learn more from interacting and listening to the ideas of others.

Choose your seat wisely

Sitting up front is not just for smarmy kiss-asses, and over-eager suck-ups. Sitting up front helps you learn better, period. Sure, you won’t be able to catch a mid-afternoon nap, but it sends the message that your are motivated, mature and not trying to skate by with minimal effort.

Know your learning style

Our brains are all wonderfully, weirdly different. Some people retain best by writing important study phrases repeatedly, others learn by recording it on a tape and hearing it over and over, and some get knowledge to stick with visual cues like graphs, diagrams and flash cards. Determine your best retention method to maximize your study time.

Bust your ass academically, and the rewards will follow. Although it sounds like the corny chanting of your high school guidance counselor, you must apply yourself. While snagging the title of college dropout won’t impress the masses, grabbing honors roll recognition will. And if you do it right, you will have plenty of time for the fun stuff too.

Too much time in the library makes for a very boring 4 years.