It’s almost finals week, and Fresno City College students, like their counterparts throughout the nation, are focused on completing their classes successfully. Everyone wants to end strong, and ace their finals. Who doesn’t?

Unfortunately, in the pursuit of this goal, students do not always make the wisest decisions and end up complicating things.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. We, as students, can take our lives in our hands and shape our own successes.

The good news is that we have access to resources on and off campus that can make a big difference in how successful we are. Yes, the degree of your success depends on how hard you have worked up to this point as well as how hard you are willing to work for your final exams.  It is within your reach if you take advantage of all available resources in order fully to achieve your goals.

Take advantage of Ram Slam:

Extended library hours and tutoring that is sponsored by the Associate Student Government. Ram Slam offers tutors for all writing assignments and math. The computer lab will be open and quiet study rooms will be available.

If you can benefit from a quiet study environment or free tutoring, Ram Slam is a must for you. While it is mostly finals “cram” session, it will still help you focus on what you need to for this last week.

Don’t do it alone:

So you are the type of student that believes in doing it all alone? While self-preparing is always a great option for some students, for many others it isn’t.

Form or join study groups with classmates; know what everyone else knows. Run your answers by members of your group and pick up a few tips from others. Get together to create outlines, flash cards or just to quiz each other.

Practice makes perfect:

Practice tests, like tutoring, can point out deficiencies in a student’s knowledge bank and expose what needs to be worked on.

These issues may be in test-taking or the way the student studies. In any case, practice tests are a good place to start. By identifying your weaknesses, you can adjust your study habits accordingly.

Practice tests will also help students identify what kind of learner you are. Do you learn by writing, listening or doing? Identifying your learning style will lead you to study habits that fit your style. This will reinforce material that you are learning and create a place in the brain for the information to stay.

Your professors are your friends:

You should also seek out your professors to clear up any confusion about the material before the exam. Who would explain better the material than the person teaching the class and grading the test? Going to your professor gives you an opportunity to clarify whatever it is about the material that is proving to be difficult.

Figure out what works for you:

What is your learning style? You are less likely to retain what you’re studying if you’re using a method that is not suitable for you.

Have you considered making learning fun? For instance, using acronyms to remember formulas and definitions such as PEMDAS (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction) or IMPAT (Interphase, Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase).

Beethoven anyone?

Music is another popular study technique, but few students understand what kind music should be used when studying. According to a study by the Stanford School of Medicine in 2007, listening to classical music is a way to get the brain to pay attention.

The author of the study, Mitzi Baker, explained that the brain has its own ways of processing information and separating information “into meaningful chunks by extracting information about beginnings, endings and the boundaries between events.”

This could explain why students find studying with music helpful. Try it. You have nothing to lose.

Rest up:

The weekend before finals is not the best time to party all weekend long.  Rest your body and your mind and be refreshed for the week that could determine the rest of your life.