Finals time is exciting — but also can be quite stressful. Soon, you’ll have at least a few days off from your academic responsibilities, but for now you’ve got quite a bit of content to cover in order to be ready for your big tests. The best way to ace your exams is to focus on making the most of the time that you have by planning one week out, one day out and one hour out.

One Week to Go

If you still have a week left before your big exam, maximize your efficiency by getting your content into an easily digestible format. Try creating a study guide, making flashcards or creating diagrams. Make summaries from your notes and reread the text to highlight important points.

One Day Before

Focus on what you don’t know first and then go on to review the concepts that you’re more comfortable with the day before the exam. The flashcards that you created will come in handy here since you can focus in on the ones that you’re having trouble grasping.

One Hour to Go — You’re Almost There!

Now it’s time for just a quick review. Don’t try to get too detailed! Find a quiet spot and eliminate all distractions. That includes putting your phone on silent so you can pay attention to what matters. Scan the reading, paying attention to headers and bolded text. Review your notes for highlighted or starred sections to review

Studying, even for just a few minutes at a time, is going to increase your chances of acing that final. Take as much time as you can the last week or two before the exams to study as much as possible. Consider greatly reducing your social schedule or work shifts in order to focus on your school work during this important time.