It’s finally the last week of school and finals are rapidly approaching. Students are pulling out their hair and biting their nails off. Some are diligently studying and others are cramming. Which one are you? The crammers have not opened any books to review for the finals, but those that are studying have began to review old notes and go over every hand out that they have received.

Without a doubt, final exams are stressful for students. It is the week before Christmas break, and students know that if their grades are not up to par, their parents will have a thing or two to say.

So, to avoid extra stress, why not study? Classes that may have been stressful and hard during that year, such as Dr. Broadway’s biology class, Dr. Dourocher’s ethics class, and Ms. Rasheed’s English class, should be allotted extra time to study. It is wise to form study groups for these classes.

Study groups help students to learn something that they may have otherwise missed trying to study on their own. It is beneficial that students have a thorough understanding of the work and class discipline that they are studying for. With study groups, chapters can be broken down and divided among the different members.

Then, once all of the reading is done and the group members come back together, each member can share the information that they learned with the other members.

Another helpful way to study is to reread all of the material that the exam will be covering. Though this may sound like a lot; this technique will help students learn the information rather than memorize it. It is a valuable technique that requires a lot of time.

Students have a problem with rereading information because most of them did not read in the first place. Aaron Booker, a sophomore computer engineering major from Atlanta agrees, "I read over the same part 4 or 5 times until I know it." Studying, of course, is the only way to get good grades in school, unless you pay off the teacher. But at Dillard, that’s not going to happen.

Thus, perhaps the most important key to good studies is taking organized notes. Booker said, "The best way to study is in quite places." He admits that he sometimes study in Williams’ lounge. Being organized allows you to maneuver through pages of notes and find exactly what you are looking for quicker.

Notes that are diagonally, vertically, and written upside down in the margins are not classified as organized. Notes should not be written in that fashion. Studying notes are used as a guide; they should posse clear and precise thoughts and sentences. What’s the point of taking notes if you, the person that wrote them, cannot understand them?

Kevin Pinkston, a sophomore from Sacramento, Calif. believes that making an outline of the chapter can better your chances of getting an A on the final exam. If, for some reason, you need further help with a subject, contact a classmate, or the professor. But if neither is available, try doing outside research.

Outside research includes searching on the internet for articles related to the subject. It also includes testing yourself by doing the practice problem in the back of your book, if there are any. Good studying includes getting rid of distractions.

Distractions are anything or someone that takes your attention away from studying. The television, radio, PS2 and Madden, your girlfriend or boyfriend can all be distractions. For two hours a day, put away the distractions.

For some odd reason, students seem to think that eating a good breakfast and getting a good night’s sleep will help them do well on the final. WRONG! Where did that come from? Either you know that information or you do not. Eating breakfast will stop hunger pains and getting a good night’s sleep will help you feel rested. These are the DO’s in studying for an exam.

"As long as you study the information there is no reason why you should fail a course," Pinkston said.

DO form study groups

DON’T pull all nighters

DO reread chapters

DON’T study an hour before that exam

DO take organized notes

DO outside research

DO get rid of distraction

Students make the mistakes of cramming for exams, especially finals. Final exams cover too much information to try to remember in a short period of time. In fact if you get stuck on a question, it may through off your thought, and you can forget everything you remembered. Although cramming is easier to do; it can have detrimental effects. Lastly, remember to study, do not cram, and have good finals.