Finals week is going to look quite a bit different from past years. This final’s week, professors will have a variety of ways of testing students since some will be done remotely online while others are in-person.
The format of your final exams will depend on your professors preferences.
Don’t stress though, your professors will tell you exactly how they want you to take your final.
Here are examples of final exams that you may encounter:
- Most will probably require you to use Respondus Lockdown Browser.
- The Respondus Lockdown Browser has the ability to access your camera and microphone, and some professors may require both to be on for the exam. If your professor has set this up, the browser will walk you through steps to ensure your camera and microphone are working before you start the exam.
- Some professors may just require you to be present on Zoom with your camera on and microphone muted.
- Exams may be open for a couple of days to finish on your own. Your professor will specify whether this kind of exam is open or closed book. If it is closed book, your professor will most likely require you to use the Lockdown Browser. With this kind of exam, however, once you start it, you usually have to finish it within the timeframe set by your professor.
Also, not every final exam is a traditional test. Some professors may decide to do something different, like a project or write a paper in place of an exam.
Here are some helpful studying tips:
- The first most important thing is to know what your finals are going to look like. This will help you find the best ways to study and prepare. If you are unsure of what your exams will be like, just ask!
- Next, set up a study schedule. For example, it is recommended that you study for about 30 minutes and then take a 10 minute break.
- Personally, I find Quizlet the most helpful for me to study. It is free and offers many different activities to help you study.
- Good old-fashion flashcards can be helpful, especially when studying vocabulary.
- Zoom is a great platform to set up a meeting with classmates to study. One person can share their screen if you have a Quizlet or Kahoot made. This can make studying feel like less of a boring chore.
The format of this semester’s finals may seem overwhelming because it is so different from what you’ve done before.
However, no matter how your exams look, as long as you keep an open line of communication with your professors and study, finals week will be way less scary!
