How to Prepare for Finals 101:

It's that time of year again. The sun is shining, flowers are starting to bloom, birds are chirping again, and final exams are looming. Don't let the latter get you down though, because with a little foresight, you can ace your exams and start the summer off on a high note.

• Start reviewing course materials now! It is a proven fact that studying a little bit every night for a longer period of time before an exam is much more effective than a one giant cram session the night before. Plus, any questions you may have can be asked and answered in the weeks before an exam, rather than late the night before.
  
• Relate the course material to your life. Creating associations between course material and practical, relevant applications will not only help you remember it better, but will help you fully understand and be able to apply it better too.
  
• Take a practice exam. Ask your professor if he or she has copies of old exams you can review, or visit the Engineering Learning Resource Center in the Lurie Building. The ELRC (located in G264) offers practice exams for many core courses. Stop by the EAC for a schedule, or email Darryl Koch at koch@engin.umich.edu.
  
• The best thing you can do is to be awake, aware, and ready at exam time. Get a good night's rest, make sure you are well fed, and find your exam room ahead of time.

-Dan Smith (IOE student)