The end of the semester is quickly approaching. It’s the time of year when sleep may not be an option and students disappear in the library for days at a time. It’s finals time. For freshmen, this will be their first college finals; so of course, a little anxiety is to be expected. A few upper classmen had some “finals survivor tips” that have helped them through their exams.

Senior Jerika Gilcreast has a unique way of studying and she has had plenty of experience of surviving finals week.

“First, I find a quiet place where I know my friends won’t be. It is easy for me to get distracted,” Gilcreast said. “Second, I start studying at least an hour before my actual study time because when I open my laptop, the first thing I do is check Facebook or Twitter. My third tip is if I am forced to study when a lot of people are around, I face my laptop to where others can see it. I feel more guilty when passersby see that I am on Facebook or Stumbleupon, so I am on it less. My fourth tip is I highlight and use little tabs. I try to use the same highlighter and tabs to be more organized. And lastly I try to study hours before the big exam. I tend to forget more and get things mixed up when I study at the last minute.”

Other students like sophomore Malyn Collins have different suggestions.

“I study by making flashcards,” Collins said. “I normally stick to a schedule, studying for three hours. Then I break for an hour, then study, break, so on.”

Sophomore Shanna Valenti also had advice to offer.

“To study for finals, I usually study the notes from classes that are really hard. Those are the key points that the professors want us to know, so that’s what I study the most. Sometimes textbooks have study guides after every chapter and I’ll look at those too.”

A good starting place for studying: make sure you have plenty of highlighters, note cards, all class notes and textbooks, and of course, your favorite snacks and drinks.

Everyone’s study habits are different so it is important to find study habits that work for you and that will ensure your success in classes.