That dreaded time of year is upon us again — the time when we all come together to survive the many finals we’ve been dealt. Everyone has a different means of studying, whether it be complete isolation, group meetups in Glenn G. Bartle Library or last-minute cramming (highly ill-advised). Despite these various ways to study, some may not have the best grasp on how to go about finals week. Whether you’re a freshman and this is your first experience with college finals or you just have always struggled with studying, here are some tips on how to ace your finals.

Rank Them and Attack It From There

In an ideal world, you want to spend equal time on every single final to guarantee A’s across the board. But that isn’t realistic and therefore ranking your finals in terms of how secure you feel in the class can be a highly valuable tool. Having laid out what classes you feel you need most studying time in can translate into forming an actual studying schedule. A schedule can help you stay on task by setting study increments which may make tasks more manageable.

Use Active Learning Methods

Staring at note cards taken from lecture slides or reviewing previous assignments can be helpful, but it can only do so much. Using active learning methods whether it be rewriting lecture notes in your own words or teaching the material to semi-focused friends can be vastly more beneficial. Shifting roles from being the student to being the teacher can help with mastering the curriculum and ensuring you understand the material.

Concept Maps

Depending on what class you are studying for, this tool may or may not be helpful. For those in the humanities, this may be a more appropriate tool than someone about to take an organic chemistry exam. Concept maps are a great way to group the vast amount of topics you may have written down in your notes. It is best done on a whiteboard and having everything grouped in a way that you as the student can understand can help to conceptualize how you may want to manage the rest of your studying.

Eat and Sleep

This one is not as obvious as it should be for college students. Making sure you have a sustainable sleep schedule at least a week before your finals is vital to ensure success. Sure, a late-night study session or two may be inevitable, but working yourself to sleep deprivation is not the way to go about it. It is also important to make sure you consume foods that keep your energy up. Even though chicken tenders and pizza may be the most accessible food group, it’s important to ensure fruits and vegetables stay in the rotation.

Interval Studying

Interval studying is a more polished way of essentially saying you need to have breaks while studying. It has been scientifically proven that interval studying works and leads to better academic performance in the long run. Cram sessions have been shown to hurt one’s memory more than it has been shown to help it. Allowing your brain to rest and properly digest the information you’ve studied is the right way to go about ensuring your knowledge of the subject.

Finals week can be a stressful time but with the right study skills, you can tackle it with confidence. It is important to make sure you don’t push yourself so hard that your mental health is put into jeopardy. It can feel overwhelming, so seeking friends when the pressure seems to be too much is vital.