Source: Tomato Bubble
So it’s finals week. You stack up all your books, photocopy all of your friends’ notes, make sure you have all your possible review materials, and you have brought 3 calculators with you just in case. However, there’s always this thought of doubt at the back of your mind saying that you’re gonna mess up somehow, but you don’t know what. Or maybe no matter how hard you try, you just can’t seem to focus on studying. In that case, we’ve compiled a list of things engineering students should avoid doing before and during exams, to help you achieve the best possible results.
1) Don’t drink too much energy drinks
Source: Allkpop
Energy drinks are mostly made of sugar, and you know too much sugar is bad for you. Yes, it’s really tempting to drink up a few bottles and give yourself a sudden burst of energy. But then, it leaves you restless and unable to sit still and focus on your exam. Instead, just drink something that’s enough to keep you alert and awake, like your morning coffee or even an apple.
2) Say no to procrastination
Source: Thought Catalog
While this might seem obvious, a lot of us fall into the trap of procrastinating everything during finals, including problem sets, homework, projects, and studying for the exam itself. The reason why we procrastinate is because we’re afraid that if we actually try to do it, we’ll end up stressed out, while most of the time, it’s just an exaggeration. To combat this, try the 15 minute method. Compile a list of things you have to do, do the tasks for 15 minutes each, and once you’ve hit the 15 minute mark, decide whether you’ll continue or just set it aside. 90% of the time, you’ll continue, because it won’t be as bad as you thought it would. There are also other methods such as the Pomodoro method that involves a 25-minute timer and short breaks in between.
3) Stay away from Social Media
Source: Tumblr
Again, this might be obvious, but we all end up falling for it anyways, especially in the 21st century when most of our lives are online. Social media almost always takes up 90% of our time, so unless you wanna waste your entire day, log out from all your accounts, or better yet, turn off your internet connection, focus on the task you have on hand, and move forward.
4) Keep review material to a minimum
Source: melondramatics – DeviantArt
A lot of times, we end up photocopying every one of our classmate’s notes or borrow too much books on the same topic to make that “perfect reference”. Most of the time though, we end up getting overloaded and confused with all the different ways one can explain a single topic. Instead, keep your review material to a minimum. Keep a maximum of 2 references for a single topic, and stick to those references and understand them.
5) Never use a calculator model you aren’t familiar with
Source: Popular Mechanics
This is the worst possible thing you could do to yourself during an exam. If something as simple as remembering your calculator is in radians and not in degrees can mess up all of your results, imagine using a calculator in which you have 0 idea what its settings are and where its functions are located. Always stick to a calculator model you’re well-versed with, or if you have no other choice, spend like a day mastering the calculator you have on hand, making sure that you’re confident enough to set all the functions you need.
