Loyola University Maryland

The Study

Preparing for Finals

Finals might still be a week and a half away, but they will be here before you know it! Make sure you are prepared by following these steps:

  1. Determine when your finals are by checking Loyola’s student exam schedule or consulting your syllabi or professors.
  2. Write your due dates on a calendar or in an agenda.
  3. Identify the forms—exams, essays, projects, etc.—that your finals will take by consulting your syllabi or professors.
  4. Assess how much progress you have made toward completing your finals; for example, have you been working on a project all semester that you will revise for one of your finals?
  5. Block out time on your calendar or in your agenda to work on each of your finals. (Remember to try to be generous when blocking out time in case you meet any unexpected challenges as you work!)
  6. Seek out any resources, such as peer tutoring, that might help you.
  7. Check in on how you are feeling as you work so you know when to take breaks to avoid burnout.
  8. Aim to eat and sleep well during finals, particularly before any exams.
  9. Acknowledge (and celebrate!) when you reach any milestones, such as a finished draft of an essay or a completed final for one of your classes.
  10. Submit your last final and congratulate yourself on a job well done this semester!

Good luck and remember: you can do this!