Written by Lauren Haines, Class of 2024
After almost three months of mind-numbing online classes and social distancing, there’s just one more hurdle between UNC and a well-deserved winter break: Finals Week. So, if you’re twelve chapters behind in your asynchronous class, haven’t watched a lecture in two weeks, or just want some extra help, here are three study strategies for surviving Finals Week at UNC: Zoom University edition.
Take Notes by Hand
Most students agree that taking notes by hand is literally the worst. It’s messy, time-inefficient, and there’s the possibility that your notes will disappear forever into the dark recess of your backpack. But science doesn’t care, and researchers agree: you’re more likely to remember notes taken by hand than by keyboard.
Learn to Use “CTRL + F”
Let’s say you’ve ignored my last piece of advice. Or maybe you prefer typed notes. Whatever the case, if you take notes by keyboard, your “F” and “CTRL” (“Command” for Mac users) keys will be your best friends during Finals Week.
Nothing is more soul-crushing than scrolling through a 20-page study guide, trying to find the one specific bullet point you need to answer a question. So don’t do that. Hit “CTRL + F,” instead. It’s a fun, fresh alternative to searing your retinas with blue light, squinting at 12 pt Times New Roman font for two hours straight.
Of course, to use the “Find” function effectively, you’ll need to organize your notes—otherwise, you won’t know what you’re searching for. I recommend putting keywords beside their synonyms in parentheses (see example below) just in case you search “pain” instead of “Taylor Polynomials” on your calculus study guide.
Here’s an example :
Keyword → Mitochondria (the powerhouse of the cell) ← Synonym
Manage Your Time
This study strategy is an old classic. Whether your classes are in-person or online, nothing beats time management for squeezing an “A” out of even the hardest final. Psychology majors (and the American Psychological Association) can back me up on this one: the more time you take between study sessions, the better you’ll retain the material—and the less time you’ll spend studying in the long run.
So, there you have it: three research-backed study strategies to help you finish the semester with flying colors. And if you want additional help, there’s always the UNC Writing Center, the Learning Center, or good old-fashioned office hours.
Above all, remember: you got this.