Final Exams Advice for Creatives

Hello everyone! I'm happy to be bringing out a new post today, and it's one of those where I will need to take my own advice. I have one final week of school, then I am off for the summer. I'm studying photography and graphic design, so my finals probably look a little different than others. For classes focusing on photography or graphic design work, I have more projects than exams or papers. Doing well on final projects does not necessarily depend on how well you study material, so how do you do well? I'm on the right path to do well in all my final projects this semester, so here are my tips for acing finals for creative classes!

1. Don't procrastinate!

This is on every study advice post ever, but it's true. Just like you won't do well on a essay you throw together the night before, you will not create a good project if it is a last-ditch effort. Procrastination only creates stress and doesn't end up in anything good. Now, do your future self a favor and plan out work beforehand so you aren't cramming everything into the last few days.

Bullet journaling is my favorite way to keep track of all my work.

2. Split big projects into chunks.

I have had several projects where I am assigned one project that has lots of pieces. At first, it seems very overwhelming and I get anxious. Instead of letting the worry eat at me and make me not want to do any work, I approach the project in pieces. Some professors may lay out their own timeline for the project, but you can try giving yourself due dates so you stay on track and work at a good pace!

Branding projects normally involve lots of pieces, so I like to take those by parts. Maybe a logo, slogan, color palate, and pattern in one chunk, packaging and stationery designs in one chunk, and mock ups in another. For big photography projects, I'll make a mood board first and find a model. Then, maybe brainstorm shoot locations and source any props that I might need. By the time the shoot day comes, I will have planned everything out so I can let creativity take over at that point.

This is a mood board I made for my studio photography final, it was a set design project. This gives me pose and composition ideas so I know what I want when I go shoot.

3. Ask for feedback!

I'm lucky to be at a university where the professors care for their students and genuinely want them to succeed. Because of this, I understand that their feedback is never meant to be personal criticism, it's more like guidance to the right direction because they know I can do better. Don't be afraid of asking for feedback, your work will be so much better for it! Every time I complete a draft, I will send it to a professor and ask for feedback and they come up with ideas and insights that I never would have considered on my own. Sometimes this ends up happening 3, 4, or even 5 times! Ask during class, meet with them outside of class, or reach out through email, they will hopefully be happy to help.

4. Try and find a personal connection in all your projects.

If you end up working on a project for a few weeks, if you're anything like me you might get bored after a while and loose motivation to work. I try to avoid this by making sure there is an aspect of every project that I love. That might come from an open project format, where the professor might let you choose what direction to go in with your design, or you might have to sneak your passion in the assignment somehow. For one of my finals, I'm making booklets designed to promote language learning to English-speakers because learning languages is a hobby of mine. Sometimes I will tie elements of my projects back to my hometown, whether that be in the color palate or logo design. Bringing things I care about into my work helps keep me fired up about it.

These are coasters with a logo that I designed, the sun symbolism reminds me of my hometown and I was inspired to design branding for a tea company because I love tea.

5. Back up all your work!

I admit, I am guilty and don't do this as much as I should. Especially during finals, do everything you can to keep track of your work and protect it. I don't keep any work on school computers because there is no promise that it will still be there next time. Be careful as you work, the save button is your best friend. At this point, it is our responsibility to keep our work safe and "technical difficulties" are not a valid excuse for missing a deadline. You can use hard drives or flash drives, or online storage sites like Dropbox or Google Drive. Back it up and thank yourself later!

This little guy has been my best friend over these past couple of weeks.

Those are my 5 tips for acing finals as a creative! If you plan well, incorporate your passion, and keep track of your files, there is no reason you shouldn't succeed. To everyone taking finals, good luck!

Thanks for reading!

xx, Hannah