We've all been there. It's the early stages of final year, and it seems the volume of work will not stop coming. Readings, MCQ's, group assignments and essays are all the necessities (the list goes on... and then there's GPA to worry about!).
So how to make a plan to get through it all? A few key pointers' gained from my own experience, I hope, will take some of the weight off your mind throughout the year.
1. Plan your week ahead
I know you're probably sitting there thinking "I've heard this all before", but you can often take for granted how busy the college week can quickly become. While getting to lectures, group meetings and leaving time for study matters, believe me you don't want to miss out on lunch with your mates or class nights-out at the same time. So what's the best way to fit it all in?
Personally, I found taking half an hour out of your Sunday to make a daily schedule of what lies ahead as the best way. First, start with your lectures/tutorials (or the compulsory ones at the least!) and then add in slots for group meetings, projects and your own general study. Once you have that much done, it quickly allows you to see when you're free for the other things that matter to you. Such a stress-reliever; believe me...
2. Be productive during lectures
Monday. 9AM. You're faced with a two-hour lecture when the only place you want to be is in bed. Its hard, but grab a coffee (or two) and get in as it may be a more rewarding experience than you think.
Many lecturers upload slides pre-lecture which form the basis of the content to be covered. If taking notes on the content of these slides is your thing fire away, but I have found a more productive route to getting the most from your lectures.
Instead, try focusing on the additional things that the lecturer is speaking about which are not contained on the slides (like practical examples). Lecturers often provide this information only in the lecture itself (mostly as a way to reward the few that have bothered turning up...) and also tend to give valuable exam pointers in this way also. So keep the lecture slides open beside you and pay special attention to anything extra which is mentioned, lecturers often use this to distinct between the average and the excellent come exam time.
3. Don't underestimate group work
Most of us take a lax-approach to group work at the beginning, thinking "grand, sure the rest of them will take care of this". However, when it comes to final year this strategy becomes too risky and should be avoided at all costs.
From the get-go, take an active role in the group, like organising meetings, conducting background research etc. It helps to establish norms to be expected of everyone in the group. Start cutting corners and you'll soon find other group members becoming frustrated. Remember, many group projects involve a peer-assessment at the end and those perceived "friends" of yours might be quick to write a scathing review of you, with consequences on your final grades. Instead, take a proactive approach to the group dynamic and you'll soon find how rewarding group work can be to bolstering your overall GPA.
4. Relate readings to the final exam
We all have those modules where the reading list appears endless each week, and you'd rather do anything bar scroll through an academic journal 50-pager. However, we're final years now and can be smart about trying to reduce the amounts we have to read, while not compromising the chances of getting high grades in the final.
First, approach the reading as if you were trying to find answers to potential exam questions. Scroll through the reading and focus in on some potential long questions or definitions that may come up.
Take a look at this page of notes I took on a business-related topic. Key definitions and potential exam questions are in a different colour, together with key terms etc. I managed to summarise 5/6 pages of a textbook into a single page of notes. Believe me, having a condensed set of notes like this makes all the difference at busy exam times.
Finally, don't waste time taking notes on irrelevant parts of readings just for the sake of it. Many textbooks are outdated and contain examples which are not relatable to today's world. Instead, research your own examples to bulk up an exam answer. This shows your lecturer that you have conducted additional reading and helps to reduce the volume of textbook reading as well.
5. Think ahead to the workplace
Final year can be made even more busy with the various job interviews you may have during the term. Its more important than ever to emphasise to your employer how your degree will be of use to your job spec. So what's the best way to show this?
I would suggest choosing modules in your final year which relate to the subject matter of your potential employment. As well as this, maybe choose modules which incorporate skills like presentation, group work etc. which employers love to see on a CV.
Finally, you need to refine how you apply yourself to your study in order to be prepared for the working world. So treat your final year as if it was the ultimate job interview. Get yourself into routines around getting up on time, and finishing assignments before/on deadlines. This will be of so much use when you finally progress into the workplace.