As the semester flew right by with all of the stress, finishing assignments at the last minute, and studying for tests the night before, we are all excited for Christmas break.

Before heading for the holidays we all have a couple of things to do, finish the semester strong and take those finals. Now, I’m sure finals are the last thing on our minds but I can assure you that mid-December will come sooner than you think. Here’s some tips to get you through the last chunk of the semester.

Know when your finals are!

Many of us freshman had no idea there was a whole different schedule for finals! Hard to believe right?

This is the first step because you need to plan out when to study or if you need to ask your job to work with you on your schedule. If you miss your finals, let’s just say that is no good. Click here to view the fall final schedule.  

Whip out that planner you bought in August

I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. More than likely you purchase a planner back in August when you were excited about the supply shopping. You used it the first week of classes and you never opened that planner since. Well now is time to put it back into use.

You do not have to use a planner! There are many ways to stay organized like a calendar, your phone, lists, etc. Just as long as you have some method of keeping yourself in check, you will be set.

Use your resources

There are so many resources all around you! Your classmates, teachers or your advisor, Math Resource Center, the library, Writing Center, TRiO, Student Success Center, and so many more.

I would recommend to use at least one of those if not most. Study at the library, get some tutoring in math or science, or talk to your teachers to see if there is anything they can recommend for you to understand material easier.

There are so many chances for success around campus. Here’s a quick tip: if you ask your teacher what will be on the final more than likely they will let you know if it will be cumulative (stuff from the entire semester) or just for the section you are learning about in class.

Don’t forget those semester papers/projects

Don’t you ever feel like the teachers have meetings to plot making those papers and projects all due around the same time? Try to knock some out ahead of time if you can.

Chances are they mentioned these huge assignments during syllabus week but in all honesty, we put them off until now. These are known to be a huge chunk of your final grade so you want to do your best on them.

Quick tip: If you finish early enough you could ask your teacher on some feedback if they allow so. They can tell you what you need to work on and that will help boost your grade when the assignment is actually due.

Quizlet and EBSCO are your best friends

If you haven’t used either of these, you have not attended a school in Liberal, Kansas. Quizlet was extremely popular in my high school and is something I personally still use today. The free version gives you so many ways for you to study. Flash cards, matching, and the practice tests are my personal favorites.

EBSCO is a service that we college students are able to use thanks to the library. Remember those papers and projects? Chances are you will need sources for them and EBSCO gives you thousands of articles that are perfect as sources. These articles even come with the citations on the side! If you aren’t familiar with EBSCO I’m sure any teacher around campus will gladly guide you.

Don’t forget you’re almost done!

Sophomores, graduation applications are due November 27th. Spring enrollment began November 5th and you want to get that done ASAP!

Classes will fill up fast and you want to be able to have the freedom of choosing your classes. Talk with your advisors. Ask for help if you need to. Put your pride aside and get that diploma. Put in the work now and you will thank yourself once Christmas break starts.