AV俱乐部

First-year arts student Ashley Stead discusses her study routine with Chris Giacomantonio, a Masters of Sociology student and a study skills coach with the Studying for Success program. (Danny Abriel Photo)

Ashley Stead鈥檚 exam preparations would not be complete without one essential thing: 鈥渁n extra large tea.鈥� Steaming cup in hand, the first-year arts student usually settles into studying about two weeks before her exams. 鈥淚'm not one of those people who start a month before ...I just don鈥檛 find it motivating to begin that early,鈥� she says. 鈥淎t the same time, I don鈥檛 like to cram at the last minute.鈥�

She鈥檚 on the right track, according to experts. Patricia Schappert, academic advisor and coordinator of AV俱乐部鈥檚 Studying for Success Program, says students should make academics their highest priority two weeks before finals.

鈥淧reparing for exams really should be a semester long process, and not something that you do the night before,鈥� she says. 鈥淏ut about two weeks before exams, you should be trying to do as much work as possible, while balancing studies with sleep and time for other activities.鈥�

Burning the midnight oil may be one strategy, but students who leave things to the last minute usually don鈥檛 end up getting the results they want.

鈥淲hen you cram, you're storing information in short-term memory which means you are making very few connections to what you are actually trying to remember,鈥� says Ms. Schappert. 鈥淭hen when you're under stress, it's difficult to retrieve information and develop a coherent response when asked a question.鈥�

She says while exam periods are an integral part of a student's academic life, they are about much more than grades. 鈥淭est taking is in large part about measuring and challenging your strategies for learning, which is a lifelong activity鈥� The time you spend as an undergraduate is an apprenticeship for developing and honing these skills.鈥�
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The Studying for Success Program, part of Student Services and located in the Killam Library, provides one-on-one personal coaching sessions, or group workshops tailored to students鈥� fields of study. The coaches are graduate students who are trained to teach things like time management, note taking, critical reading and writing, and exam preparation.

AV俱乐部 offers a range of other supports for students, from general study tips, to tutorials, to academic counselling. Dal's My Guide offers comprehensive information for students. The new Mark A. Hill Accessibility Centre offers a variety of services for students with permanent or temporary disabilities including exam accommodations, tutors referral, computers, adaptive software and hardware and a note-taking program.

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