Students are tired. They’re stressed out. They are wondering how they’re going to finish all this work. But, Winter Holidays are right around the corner! Students can practically taste the gingerbread cookies and hot chocolate.

I woke up this morning and looked at my calendar… 26 days until “freedom” (but who’s counting!?!?). But before I got too excited about this prospect, I thought about all of the work that I need to get done between now and then and my blood pressure became slightly elevated.

Whether we like it or not, exams are right around the corner. And for first year students, this may be the first time that they are writing an exam that lasts longer than an hour. It may be the first time that they are responsible for knowing material from an entire course. Students may be doing well and want to keep up those marks or they may be banking on exams to raise their marks.

Whatever their goals are, preparing for exams takes a lot of work and it’s a good idea to start as early as possible. Over the next few weeks, I will be posting some blogs about how your student should begin preparing for the final push of the semester.

I would like to tell you about some workshops that are being offered by Learning Services.

Learning Services is offering three free workshops; Preparing for Finals in the Sciences (Monday, November 21 from 5:30-6:30pm), Preparing for Finals in the Arts and Social Sciences (Wednesday, November 23 from 5:30-6:30pm) and Cramming (Tuesday, November 29 from 5:30-6:30pm).

The Preparing for Finals workshops will provide students with tips and techniques for effective studying, how to create a study plan and how to manage their time during the exam period.

The Cramming workshop focuses on effective ways to study when there isn’t enough time to properly prepare for a final exam. It will provide tips for last minute studying.

To sign up for these workshops, students can follow click here. They need to pre-register using their central login and password (don’t worry, this site is secure). If a workshop is full, they can still be put on a waiting list. If your student is really keen to attend but they have been put on the waiting list, encourage them to send Learning Services an email at learning@uoguelph.ca.

I would also like to encourage you to share these online resources with your student. Both the Guide to University Learning and the Guide for Time Management can also be really useful for preparing for final exams. The Guide to University Learning has a specific section on preparing for exams and time management and controlling procrastination tips are always useful!

As well, Kathy Somers, with the Stress Management and High Performance Centre is offering a Stress Less for Tests workshop on November 22 and 24 from 5:30pm to 7pm. The fee is $5 per student. Topics covered will include how to calm down and focus before and during an exam, how to use mind/body to enhance exam performance, techniques for what to do when your mind goes blank and more! This is a great workshop to attend if your student experiences exam anxiety. Click here for more information.

If you have any questions about resources that are available on campus for exam prep, feel free to send me an email at family@uoguelph.ca! I would love to hear from you!