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How much do you study for each exam?

Tofu
edited April 2013 in General
I usually do 3-4 days (aiming for 4) but this semester was brutal. Last Friday was the last day of class and i have exams the following Monday Tuesday and Wednesday. So that left me with 2 days for 1 exam, and 3 days for the others. :(
I study the whole day but in reality I only get 4 hours of studying done (because I'm lazy haha)

Comments

  • Hoolaooola
    I still cannot understand how people can study only three to four days prior to a final exam and pass it.... Do you guys review on a regular basis?

    I am currently studying for psych, and I am unable to get through a chapter within a day... I set up at least a week prior to each exam to study, and sometimes even that is not enough.

    My studying method is either extremely screwed up, or most of the talksfu members are geniuses.
  • Tofu
    Well if you pay attention in class and do the homework, then you should already know the material. What I do when I study is just go over my homework, and midterms and understand how to do those questions. As for notes, I just read them over once or twice. If i'm not too sure on a section, i spend 1-2 hours reviewing it. Best thing to do is study a little bit each day through out the whole semester (but I'm lazy and sometimes don't do that) but I make an effort to understand the material at least.
  • smythsfu
    A week for each exam? Exam week is only 10 days and most students have up to 5 final exams so thats nearly impossible for most. I had term papers, daily readings, and assignments going up to the last day of class 
  • Hoolaooola
    It seems that I have underestimated the help I can get by merely going to and listening to the lectures. With great stupidity, I did not emphasize on the lectures themselves until now.

    For the first two weeks or so after a semester starts, I am in tip - top shape; going to classes, and actually listening and trying to analyze the prof's lectures. After those two weeks, I seem to lose all incentive.

    Since I am in arts, I have little to no homework, nor am i usually allowed access to any of my midterms.

    I wonder how I was even able to get into SFU now. Deep thinking time.
  • Tofu
    That usually happens when you aren't challenged enough and then you get lazy. Then by the end of the semester you don't know what's going on and what exactly is covered. But try to go to class it pays off. For me, even if i read the section and did the homework before it was taught, i still go so I can know what's going on in class. 
  • Hoolaooola
    And as for the comment by smythsfu,

    when the exam week is coming up, and if there are still shit to do from the classes, i tend to prioritize it the least, and focus the most on studying for the exams themselves.

    I give very little, maybe even no effort whatsoever to provide a decent paper/assignments if it is assigned to me near the end of the classes.


    I suppose that is the key to how you can study for only 3 days prior to a finals and pass it with a decent mark: constant, regularly - reviewed studying habits. What a dumbshit I am for being unable to acknowledge that until now.
  • sfu_guy
    I didn't have enough time to review for this term. I likely won't pass several courses (or just barely pass). I had major assignments due up until Saturday past, then 1 exam yesterday, 1 today and 1 tomorrow. I had 1 day to review for each, plus a few hours in the evening after a prior exam and a few more in the morning before the exam. I needed at least 2, preferably 3 days for each. I'm kicking myself now, but I don't know what I could have done different! I'm just basically going off what I remember from the study I did for midterms.

    My last uni I went to had a policy that no assignments could be due in the last week of classes. I remember always having enough time to feel prepared. Anyways, lesson learned for next time I suppose....
  • ryan
    I find I study for up to two days max. The first day ends up being a pretty lazy study day, but I usually get a decent amount done on the second day. I typically start by studying the stuff I feel I already more or less know. Then I move onto things I think will be on the test. In my experience knowing what to study is important. Often times courses have material that is unlikely to be tested, and it can be easy to waste a lot of time looking it over.

    So far this strategy has yet to let me down.
  • Tofu
    Well here's some tips if you want to survive another semester like this. This term was tight and i blame reading week for that lol 

    I plan out what needs to be done in a span of 2 weeks. I make sure that i have all assignments, projects, etc. out of the way before the 1 week mark of the first exam (at least). 

    Don't go on to the next topic of a course unless you understand it well enough that you are confident that you can pass if you suddenly get a quiz on it (that's why weekly quizzes in math classes help). 

    Ask questions if you can, and start of stuff early. It sounds cliche but trust me, starting early is probably the best thing you can do for yourself with anything in university.
  • Asterie
    I also aim to put at least three days for each final. This term was brutal, though, I got a cold last Thursday and that developed into tonsillitis which I just discovered today, so my three days of studying have been very half-assed. 
  • PsychoPsycho
    I take Psy too. I usually review the lecture notes or textbook every week...
  • BeAnBeAnBeAnBeAn
    Every semester, term paper, mid-term and final: "Say" I'll study and work on it days before... End up doing the night before usually requiring a near-all-nighter. End up studying at like the AM hours 2 days before the final and do like two lectures of notes and then grind hard on the day before the final. 

    So basically I go to every lecture, tutorial and do all the homework and then study the night before the exam. I've never missed a lecture ever, as of now. I try to pay as much attention during lectures and think about the stuff being said during it. 

    Got a 3.5
  • BeAnBeAnBeAnBeAn
    Definitely gotta change this last minute procrastination lifestyle for the future years though. Especially upper-division courses.
  • BeAnBeAnBeAnBeAn
    @Psycho you take Psy too? Are you OppaGangamStyle 101 or Gentleman 230?
  • PsychoPsycho
    @beanbean: No. I took 250&260 this semester and I'm going to take 201 in summer. ^ ^
  • SFUTalk
    This past final I began studying on the day of... but I do make some pretty good notes. Make notes that you can study from. Mine are mind maps. 1 unit/chapter a page, entire textbook = 12 pages!

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