Preparing to take an exam

If you've been keeping up on everything on a daily and weekly basis you're in good shape when it comes time to get serious about preparing for an exam.
The first thing you need is a plan. You need to answer some questions:

• What is my schedule like during the week of the exam?
• Do I have other exams or papers due?
• Will I have all week to prepare or will I have to study over the weekend?
• How many pages of notes are there?
• How many chapters do I have to read?

All of these questions will help you answer one basic one: How much time will I need? The answer will depend on how much work you have done so far. It's a crucial question because the next step will be to come up with a plan.
Start with with the day one week before the exam. That's the first day to start studying in earnest. Literally plan out how many hours you will spend each day studying until the exam. Make a schedule and stick with it. Be sure to leave time for group study or review sessions. Also break up the material in to parts and cover a little each day. Consider these questions:

• How much material will I cover each night?
• How much time will I spend studying with a friend?
• When are the review sessions?
• Will the Prof. or TA be available to answer any questions that come up?

Once you have a game plan it's time to get to work.