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The end of the semester is drawing near, and with that means finals are coming! Often times the end of the semester can sneak up on students and they do not always feel prepared to step into finals season. Nerves are typically high around finals, and know taking finals virtually may add additional stress.

The Academic Success Center strives to provide academic resources for students throughout the entire semester. This is a wonderful resource to share with your student as they are preparing for the end of the semester. The Academic Success Center has worked diligently to create content and provide opportunities to help students whether they are physically on campus in College Station or studying remotely. Below are some resources from the Academic Success Center that can help with preparation for finals.

• One helpful resource is the Study Plan Outline. For students that need help managing their time, this could be an amazing tool to help them get organized prior to finals. This is a free resource and explains to students how they should think about organizing their day in a productive fashion. It is never too late to encourage students to become more organized and plan out their time!
• Another feature to talk to students about is the Strategies for Different Test Formats page. For many students, this finals season will be the first time that they are taking finals in an online format. This page provides tips and tricks for preparing for different types of exams to help students feel more prepared before exam day. An online exam will not always look or feel the same as the in-person exam, so encouraging students to look into how they can best prepare for different exam formats can be so helpful!
• One last feature to highlight is the Academic Success Center's collection of educational videos. These videos span topics such as avoiding procrastination, combatting test anxiety, some exam study tips, and also tips on how to talk to a professor when struggling in a class. These videos are all directed toward the students experience. They are no more than five minutes long, so they serve as a quick way to help students get some help and information as they are preparing for this season of exams. 

While your student has been studying hard all semester, finals week is typically one of the only times that students have large exams on consecutive days, so often their positive study habits get thrown by the wayside. Here are some tips to remind your student of as they begin to prepare for finals:

• Plan a study schedule. Creating a schedule for themselves can help the student map out the time they are spending preparing for each exam and can help them maximize their time. This can also help them avoid cramming the night before the exam. Studying material for shorter periods over multiple days is more effective than studying several hours the night before.
• Take breaks when studying. The brain needs time to process the information that students are reviewing. To best prepare for exams, they should break for about 10-15 minutes for every hour of studying. 
• Eat and sleep well. During finals week, students healthy habits go out the window as they spend hours studying and preparing for exams. To best prepare themselves, it is important that they properly fuel their bodies with (somewhat) healthy foods and adequate sleep. Remind your students to eat balanced meals rather than just snacks and to get 6-8 hours of sleep a night so their brains can process information.
• Remember to breathe. Yes, finals are a stressful time, but it is important for students to remember that these exams are based on the information they have been learning all semester. Remind them to study wisely and to trust themselves.

These are some basic tips to help your student prepare for finals. Attached to this post, you will find a Countdown to Finals handout from the Academic Success Center that can be used to help students stay on track and prepared.