Alumni ‘Study Smart and Study Hard, But Don’t Neglect Self-Care’ Stories You May Like Presto! Meet the Master of High-Class Hocus-Pocus The Healing Power of Music James Larison ’70, PhD ’01, Reflects on his Career as a Nature Filmmaker Your alma mater asked you for exam-prep advice for current students—and from health tips to gentle wisecracks, you delivered By Cornellians staff Do you remember studying for finals? (Of course you do; how could you forget?) With the end of the academic year and the beginning of summer break tantalizingly close, current students are hitting the books to prepare for their spring semester exams. Happily, Big Red alumni are—as always—a source of wisdom and inspiration for their younger counterparts on the Hill. At the end of the fall semester, the University put out a call on Facebook for advice on test prep. (“I still have nightmares that I am going to an exam and never went to class,” Daniel Meyer ’87 commiserated in a comment on the post, “and I am 60.”) We at Cornellians have been hoarding the alumni tips to share ahead of spring finals—and here’s a sampling, accompanied by images of studying and test-taking over the generations. (Comments have been edited and condensed.) “You can never know everything; being well-rested for your exam will do you more good than cramming for an extra hour or two. Also: you can write a 10-page paper in one night—but you shouldn’t.” — Kirsten Suhr ’98 If you learn anything at Cornell, it’s that asking for help is a sign of wisdom and strength. Diane LaScala Bordonaro ’85 “For engineers: your time is better spent cranking practice problems than understanding the underlying science. Both correct answers and understanding will come with cranking.” — Asheen Phansey ’02 “Outside the exam room door, you won’t remember a thing. But once you sit down and read the first question, you’ll be in your groove.” — Jennifer Grosner-Mentzer ’96 “Even if you can’t wait outside in the snow on Stewart Ave. anymore, Hot Truck pizza subs are still available at Shortstop Deli downtown, and are still a great study break.” — Mark Anbinder ’89 “Make use of TA office hours, join a study group, take breaks, remember to sleep and eat, and pray.” — Tolu Ariyo ’12 “Consider exams as a learning experience. If you do well, you can celebrate; if you find deficiencies, you can take that as motivation to improve your efforts. Enjoy the ride, since it will be over quickly.” — Gerald Rehkugler ’57, MS ’58 “Keep a high-altitude perspective while you descend into topics and technical details. You’ll land the exam safely, with a calm mind.” — Tana Green ’99, BArch ’01 “Get sleep. OD on all things Collegetown Bagels. Do as many air squats and push-ups as you can to get the blood flowing to your brain, for mental clarity and alertness. Call your mom and tell her you love her. Don’t forget: you took your swim test so you won’t drown in water; metaphorically, you won’t drown in your studies.” — Isaac Losh, MPS ’11 “Give yourself a break when you need one. The results of whatever exam you’re studying for will not determine your future success in life.” — Becky Sluiter Mauldin ’95 Sit next to the smart kid. Bill Howard ’74 “Some tests are learning experiences in their own right. I remember taking my sophomore dynamics test and learning about turbine cars at the Indianapolis 500.” — Stephen Kessinger ’77 Alex Bayer / Cornell University “Break down the review sessions into bite-size chunks. Plan your preparation. Deep breaths, good sleep, great food, and get outside.” — Emily Getty ’08, MPS ’15 “Take a chance: skip some subjects and hope for the best: you will never get an A+ if you study all subjects equally.” — Benoit Gateau-Cumin, MPS ’75 “If you need to do last-minute cramming, getting up super early will result in better retention than staying up super late.” — Burton Miller, DVM ’81 “Set all your alarms. You don’t want to be running from North Campus to Barton when you’re supposed to be taking the exam—so I’ve heard.” — Ron Eagleroad ’93 “If you have a doubt and go back, change your answer. Your brain has figured out something.” Stories You May Like Presto! Meet the Master of High-Class Hocus-Pocus The Healing Power of Music — Deborah Wright Smith ’85 Dress in layers! The temperature range across old and new buildings is crazy. Valerie LaMastro ’03 “Study smart and study hard, but don’t neglect self-care. Oh, and five or six pints at the Chanticleer can’t hurt.” — Thomas Edward Seán Feeney ’99 “You can’t learn everything in one night. Keep up with the work. Make your own study guide.” — Rebecca Foster-Faith ’96 “Nothing—no future job, promotion, or grad school—is worth your health. Take care of yourself first, and the rest follows much easier. Make time to get outside and manage a little movement every day. Check in with your friends and family. Hydrate.” — Pat Erickson ’92, DVM ’97 “If you did the work, you’ve got this.” — Ann O'Neill ’77 “If there’s any free-form writing on your exams, think about what was important to your professor as evidenced by their lectures, and write about that. Add in what you know from the course material, but speculate and theorize—make it interesting for your TAs to read. TAs and professors want to know that they taught you essential facts, but more important is knowing that they inspired you to think.” — Elisabeth Swink Lee ’97 Jason Koski / Cornell University “Give it your best effort—not for the sake of the grade, but for yourself.” — Dean Fogarasi ’09 None of my employers ever asked what my grade on a final exam was. Mike Parris ’03, BA ’04 “Review work repeatedly such that it becomes second nature. Practice problems are very important. They can come from previous years’ exams, study groups, and office hours.” — Melissa Hayes, DVM ’04 “Go for a walk to clear your head.” — Jeff Parnapy ’92, MAT ’97 “As a professor advised us: ‘Don’t just study until you can understand the material in front of you. Study until you can explain it without it in front of you.’ Studying stops when you wake up the morning of the exam; you need time to let the material percolate. And make sure you know where and when the exam is. I almost missed one entirely, but a classmate saved me.” — Jeffrey Deutsch ’90 “Don’t pull an all-nighter. Sleep is vital to brain function. So is taking a ‘brain break’: get up, stretch, take a little walk, eat something healthy. Did I mention sleep? Get sleep.” — Nicole Wagner ’94 Don’t get drunk the night before finals. Amy Lynn Rosen ’84 “Prepare for an exam that’s harder than the one you’re likely to take.” — Jesse Fowler, MPS ’23 “Your brain needs nutrition. Eating for 15–20 minutes won’t take much away from study time.” — Guste Urbonaite ’15 “You’re going to be fine. It’s OK if you don’t get a 100, like you used to in high school.” — Alexia Ter Hark Emerson ’98 Jason Koski / Cornell University “Reread all those notes you took from the lectures and readings. Meet with your study group to divide up the semester’s work, to prepare outlines to study from. Go to sleep early the night before. I once sat for three finals in one day—imagine that?—and I survived. You will, too!” — Carole Kenyon ’59 “Work hard and play hard. Remember, there’s no better feeling than walking out of your last final exam at Cornell!” — Robert Shlien ’74, BA ’75 (Top: Photo by Sreang Hok / Cornell University. All other images courtesy of Rare and Manuscript Collections or by Cornell University photographers, unless otherwise indicated.) Published April 24, 2026 Leave a Comment Cancel replyOnce your comment is approved, your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Class Year Email * Save my name, email, and class year in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ Other stories You may like Ask the Expert Tips on Safeguarding Teens’ Mental Health in the Digital Age Bear Hugs Designing Clothes for Kids with Sensory Issues Chime In Why We Must Remember the History of Black Hoteliers