Preparing for that big mid-term or final exam? Give yourself your best shot by following these 13 tips! Try not to let the stress get you down ? you can do it!

Go to class prepared. The more prepared you are for class the easier it will be to understand the content you're learning and studying.

Do your homework and read the textbook. Teachers give homework so you can understand what you are being taught in class. The more you practice prior to going to class, the more prepared you'll feel when it comes time to write your exam.

Use colour. When you make your study notes, highlight important words or information so it stands out. This will help you locate the most important information on the page when you review your notes.

Write out what you need to remember. When you write things out you are able to retain the information more easily.

Have a study group of friends. Establish a group of friends from your class that you can rely on, so when it comes down to crunch time you have a support system.

Plan. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. You need to plan how you are going to tackle each of your exams. Developing an exam study schedule can be especially helpful if you have multiple exams that need your attention.

Take breaks in between studying. When you take breaks from studying you improve your focus and attention. Taking a break to get refreshed and focused is important.

Sleep is important. When you are preparing for your exams, it is important to make sure you get a good amount of sleep. This will help you focus and retain your study material.

Study what you don't understand first. There is always information that we understand and retain easily. While you study for your finals, it's important to focus your valuable time on the topics that you struggle with. That way come exam time you are confident with all of the information, not just the stuff you understood easily.

Make sure you eat healthy, nutritious foods. Before your exams begin you should go grocery shopping to get yourself some study snacks. When you are in the zone focusing on exams it is easy to miss meals, and during this time it's essential that you take care of yourself.

Disconnect. When it's time to study, you need to remove yourself from any distractions so you can focus on the exam materials. This could be putting away your phone so you're not tempted to search social media, or printing off your notes from your laptop so you're not tempted to surf the net.

Be flexible. Things come up, and sometimes your study schedule doesn't go as you planned. That's okay! The more relaxed and flexible you are, the less stressed you'll be, and the more you'll be able to focus on doing the best you can on your exams.

If you need additional academic support, there are resources on campus that you can access. The Learning Centre and the Glenn Crombie Centre are good places to start for additional support.