How to help your student prepare for finals

Finals week can be intense, but it’s also an opportunity to celebrate the growth and learning that’s happened throughout the semester.

We encourage families to offer a positive text or email of support at least once during finals week. These moments of encouragement and reminders of how far your student has come can make a big difference as they test their minds and challenge themselves academically.  

When it comes to offering support during finals week, a simple conversation about how to be helpful can go a long way. Ask your student, “How can I support you to do your best over the next few weeks?" Or "What would helpful?” Then follow their lead.

Managing expectations is particularly important for students who are working to bring their grades up. Some students may want a daily text check-in while others may only need a quick phone call the Sunday before finals; outlining how that looks before the stress sets in can alleviate pressure and leave room to talk about things other than exams and grades.  

Beyond that, here are a few more ways parents can help their students thrive before and during finals week. 

Encourage your student to begin preparing early. They can reduce their stress and give themselves the best chance for success on their exams by doing some simple prep, starting now. For each course, students should about these seven questions: 

1. Do I have a final in this class? 
2. When is it? Encourage them to review the finals schedule. 
3. Is it a paper, project, presentation, exam?  
4. For exams, what’s the format? Multiple choice, essay, take-home, online or in-class? 
5. Is it cumulative (material from the whole semester), over a single unit or a combination of both?  
6. How much does it count toward my final grade? 
7. How comfortable do I feel with the material? What resources can help me get prepared? 

Based on the answers to these questions, students can start to build a plan to best fit their needs. Creighton offers a variety of services to help them be successful. 

• Tutoring is available through Dec. 2. It’s free, friendly and available for more than 70 courses. Note that tutoring is not available during finals week — our tutors need time to focus on their own finals, too! 
• Students can meet with an academic coach to create a study schedule, discuss time management, learn new study strategies and navigate test anxiety. Encourage your student to stop by one of our Success Hubs during drop-in hours or by scheduling an appointment. Coming up in the Success Hubs: 
  • Week of Oct. 30: Study Schedules & End of Semester Calendars 
  • Week of Nov. 6: Exam Analyzers (use a previous exam to study for the next one!)  
  • Week of Nov. 13: 5-Day Study Plans for Finals 
  • Week of Nov. 27: Study Break! No-Stress Zone 

Remember, we’re here to help. Reach out to us any time. Our dedicated Student and Family Support Desk is available by phone at 402.280.1212. We also have two easy emails for students (successcenter@creighton.edu) and families (family@creighton.edu).