Whether it’s organizing your schedule, setting study goals, or connecting with support resources, a little planning now will make a big difference later.
Let’s recap a few tips from Learning at Iowa to help you prepare.
Get the most out of your study time
As a busy college student, you are balancing multiple classes, jobs, activities, and responsibilities. Take some time now to evaluate your study strategies and reflect on how you learn best:
Planning
Schedule regular times for studying and reviewing material for the next few weeks, especially for cumulative finals. Set specific goals for each study session so you can easily assess if you are being productive.
Monitoring
As you study, ask yourself: are there any topics or concepts you are confused about? Are you able to stay focused in your study location? Do you need to take advantage of office hours, tutoring, or Supplemental Instruction?
Evaluating
Ask yourself, what study strategies worked well for you in your current courses? What did not work well? What can you learn from your preparation for previous assignments or exams?
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Proactively combat procrastination
Procrastination is common and is often related to burnout. Act proactively to avoid it!
- Enter deadlines for all your remaining assignments and exams into your planner. Set up reminders leading up to those deadlines so you can space out your learning.
- Make learning a daily habit by breaking down assignments into smaller goals that you can complete within 45-60 minutes. For example, plan to finish the first three problem sets in an assignment. Then, take it one task at a time.
- If you find it hard to get started, try setting a 5-minute timer and get to work. Once that time is up, ask yourself if you could continue working on it for another 10 minutes and see if you can maintain your focus.
- Reward yourself when you accomplish your study goals for the day. This will help you celebrate your progress and motivate you to do it again!
For more information, check out:
Manage your stress levels
To keep up your motivation during busy times of the semester:
- Remind yourself of past academic challenges that you’ve overcome, such as skills or course content that you worked hard to learn even though it was difficult at first. Change doesn't happen overnight, so stay positive and consistent.
- If you are struggling with motivation for a particular course, consider how that class may help you achieve a longer-term goal, like fulfilling major requirements or preparing you for a competitive internship.
- Give yourself permission to ask questions and reach out for help from your support team (instructors, advisors, peers, family, etc.).
- Make sure you are getting enough sleep, eating and exercising regularly, and taking breaks to do things not related to your academics!
For more information, check out:
Make the most of campus resources
As the semester winds down, staying connected to academic support services can help you maintain momentum and finish strong. Take advantage of the resources available to you:
Help labs and tutoring centers
Visit department-specific help labs or tutoring centers for assistance with assignments, exam prep, and understanding course material.
Writing and communication support
Use writing centers to refine your papers, presentations, and projects. Staff can help with structure, clarity, and citations.
Library services
Access research databases, citation tools, and expert guidance from librarians to support your academic work.
Academic advising
Meet with advisors to create a study plan, manage your workload, and stay on track.
Study groups
Join or form study groups to stay motivated, share insights, and reinforce learning through discussion.