Anxious for Finals? Study Habits of More Experienced College Students May Provide Keys to Increased Preparedness and Less Stress

Course Hero survey looks at finals study habits and finds nuggets of wisdom based on the tendencies of students that are older, at the graduate level or with more rigorous course loads

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Course Hero

May 08, 2017, 15:19 ET

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., May 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Course Hero, an online learning platform that empowers millions of students and educators to succeed, today announced findings from its survey around finals study habits, revealing tips anxious students may want to take from their more experienced counterparts. The data, acquired from an independent survey of over 2,000 college undergraduate and graduate students conducted at the end of April 2017, reveals findings around finals-related stress levels, preparation trends and the most helpful study resources.

"While a certain amount of anxiety can sometimes motivate students leading up to finals, the combination of stress and under-preparedness can also become so overwhelming that it has the opposite effect, causing disengagement," said Andrew Grauer, founder and CEO of Course Hero. "What we've learned from the more experienced students we surveyed, is they are more likely to understand the positive impact early preparation has on their well-being and ultimately their academic success."

Future lawyers appear to excel at preparation: Law students were the only group of respondents that had no one say they were not prepared for finals last term.

Of JD respondents, 70% felt that they were prepared for finals last term – compared to 54% of undergrads – and the remainder (30%) said they were somewhat prepared. None said they were not prepared for their finals at all.
They were also the group most likely to say they started preparing one month or more before finals, at 74%, compared to under graduates at 47%.

With age, comes wisdom and perspective it seems: Based on the findings, older students (aged 25-34) were more likely to start preparing early and experience less stress related to final exams.

Respondents aged 25-34 reported feeling stressed in lower numbers than 18-24 year olds (32% vs. 40%).
Older respondents are also more likely to begin preparing for final exams early. Respondents aged 25-34 said they started studying more than a month before finals – twice as often as those 18-24 years old, who were more likely to begin one week before.

Heavier course loads may positively impact preparation: Somewhat counterintuitive, students with more rigorous course schedules generally made for more prepared students compared to students with lighter loads.

Respondents taking one or two courses were in the largest group to report feeling not at all prepared (4%); 56% said they felt prepared and the remainder felt somewhat prepared (40%).
For those enrolled in three courses, 50% felt prepared, compared to 54% of those taking four courses, 62% of those in five courses, and 66% of those in more than five courses. For each of these groups, 2% reported being not prepared.
Unsurprisingly, respondents reported that their stress increases with expanded course loads: of those taking one or two courses, 30% are stressed; three courses, 32%; four courses, 36%; five courses, 37%; and more than five courses, 45%.

Most helpful study habits remain constant, regardless of experience level: read, review, rehearse are cited as the trifecta of preparedness.

Regardless of medium – digital or hard copy – assigned course materials (e.g. textbook, lecture slides, handouts), other supplemental study materials (e.g. study guides, notes) and practice problems were most frequently cited as the top three most helpful study resources when preparing for finals.

Fueled by a passionate community of over 17 million students and educators who share their course-specific knowledge and educational resources, Course Hero helps students better prepare for finals. It offers the biggest and best library of study documents, expert tutors, customizable flashcards, course advice, and more – empowering success by fostering deeper and more efficient learning, ultimately enabling students and educators to succeed in their classes.

Sign up for Course Hero online at www.coursehero.com or learn from anywhere, 24/7 through its mobile app for iPhone or Android.

Methodology overview: the online survey, conducted by Survata from April 18 to 21, 2017, polled 2,004 college students aged 18-34 that are currently enrolled in a community, online, public, state or private university and working towards either a Bachelor's Degree, Master's Degree, PhD or JD.

*Percentages are rounded to the closest whole number.

About Course Hero | Master Your Classes^TMCourse Hero is an online learning platform that empowers millions of students and educators to succeed. Fueled by a passionate community of over 17 million students and educators who share their course-specific knowledge and educational resources, Course Hero offers the biggest and best library of study documents, expert tutors, customizable flashcards, and course advice. Download the Course Hero app for iPhone or Android. Connect with Course Hero on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

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SOURCE Course Hero