Your Final Year: How to Prep, What to Expect & Coping With Stress
You did it! You made it to your final year of university. This is the most challenging year that you’ll face throughout your degree: the work will get harder, the grades will count for more, and the social events will probably calm down (a little bit).
You come to uni to learn about your specialist subject, and you’re this close to becoming an expert in your field. Well played! 👌
All you need to do now is get through your last few exams and pieces of coursework, and then you’ll be awarded with a shiny certificate that tells future employers that you are capable of doing the job – and doing it well.
Making sure that you’re prepared for the year ahead will give you the best chance at success, so follow these tips to give yourself a headstart on your final academic year.
GET READING
Each year, as you’ll have noticed, your course tutors set a reading list for you to get stuck into. In your first year, you probably ignored this list – you were too busy partying, right? In second year, maybe you skimmed over the reading and got your head around a few concepts. But this year, make reading these textbooks a priority. By looking at the course material before you start your course, you’ll familiarise yourself with topics before you even get taught them, meaning you’ll have a better understanding and chance of retention come exam-time.
PLAN, PLAN, AND PLAN SOME MORE
When you’re in your third year, it’s essential that you get your head around all the tricky concepts that are involved in your course. The chances are that there’s loads to learn, so a proper revision plan is needed to make sure that you take it all in. If you try to cram in a heap of information the night before an exam, you’re never going to remember enough to pass, so planning ahead will give you a good idea about how much time you need to spend on each subject.
When you’re planning, remember to allow time to go over the more difficult concepts more than once – not everything will go in immediately, and you might need to revisit subjects before you sit the exam.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT ACCOMMODATION
It’s important that you choose to study in the right type of environment, and this includes where you decide to live. You’re a final-year student now: you’re getting on, and you need some peace and quiet. You don’t want any rambunctiousness ruining your valuable study time.
The best third-year accommodation will be tailor-made for getting work done. Your room will come with a dedicated study area, and all the time-consuming tasks like washing your clothes can be handled on-site – after all, you shouldn’t have to walk to the laundrette, because that’s valuable study time you’re eating into.
OVERCOMING FINAL-YEAR EXAM STRESS
Final year can be a stressful time. Not only do you have to plan your studies and work out a proper revision plan, but you also have to figure out what you want to do when you finish uni. This means that there’ll be plenty of research and planning going on this year.
Here’s how a bit of forward thinking can help cut down those stress levels:
- Gain experience: It might seem like a challenge taking on extra work in your final year, but relevant industry experience can make your job-search easier in the long run. If you’re considering going straight into work when you finish your degree, a bit of experience can go a long way.
- Prep nice and early: The biggest cause of stress in third year comes from exam pressure, and early preparation will not only help you perform better in exam scenarios, but it will also give you a stress-busting confidence-boost.
- Eat properly: Making sure that you’re eating the right foods can help to improve mood, and a balanced diet can be a factor in combatting stress – so avoid those instant noodles and invest in some avocado.
FINAL YEAR DONE RIGHT
Make sure that you get the most out of your final year. With loads of preparation needed for exams and plans to be made after uni, you’ll have plenty to focus on. If you’re looking for more ways to make the most out of your final student year, take a look at our blog.