Finish Strong – Preparing for Finals!

One of the most nerve wrecking times for pre-medical students is just after Thanksgiving.  During the Thanksgiving break, you go home, eat turkey, sleep a lot, and maybe watch some football.  You’re in bliss!  But the day you return back to class, you’re professors don’t hesitate the slightest bit to remind you that finals are just around the corner.

Finals are important for every pre-professional student, but the premedical student knows that in a science class, the difference between an A and B, or a B and C, can really make a difference in not just your cumulative, but specifically your science GPA.  This in turn may impact your medical school application.  Is your heart racing yet?  Are you nervous?  Well, don’t be!  Here are 5 tips to help you perform at your best!

  1. The first thing you should do is realize that one grade won’t make or break you. In the field of medicine, one bad day does not define how strong of a physician you are.  Doctors are judged based on their performance over time and this is how medical schools try to judge pre-medical students as well.  You should always aim to get the best grades possible, but don’t let the anxiety make you sweat.
  2. Start reviewing early. Here’s a thought, why not spend one hour a day during your Thanksgiving break to review your most challenging subject.  Assuming you sleep for 8 hours in a day, that still leaves you with 15 awake hours to enjoy yourself and relax.  Those 7 extra hours of review will put you farther ahead than your realize.
  3. Send your professor this email “Dear Dr. ____, I plan to begin reviewing for finals during my Thanksgiving break week, do you have any suggestions as to where I should focus my efforts?” A good professor should not be unethical and provide you with extra information pertaining to the specifics of what will be on the exam, however, he or she should give you an idea of what they perceive to be the important “take home” points for their course.
  4. Draft a study plan which you will use for the next 2-3 weeks in preparation for finals. This does not have to be a detailed plan, but you should at least have a general idea of how you plan to prioritize your study time.  This task should take into consideration a thoughtful calculation of how your cGPA and sGPA will be affected by various grades in your various courses.  It should also take in consideration your weak and strong areas.
  5. Don’t do it alone. Get your study group on your same mental wavelength.  You want to make sure that when you come together, they’re ready to hit the ground running.  Don’t underestimate the importance of studying with people who are just as determined for success as you are.

Finals are important and yes, they can be nerve wrecking; however, they don’t have to be.  Prepare your plan ahead of time so when it’s your turn to get in the game, you’ll be ready!