The last class occurs when final assignments are due and exams are coming up. Often times it is a stressful and busy time for students. It is important that TAs are prepared to support students and respond to their questions about the course, exam, and final assignments.

The Teaching Professor’s article “The Last Class Session: How to Make It Count” (2016) by Maryellen Weimer includes finishing the semester with energy and focus on the course.

Integrate the Content

Bring it all together. You could integrate things for your students, but it’s better if they do it themselves. In the interest of time, you’ll want to identify the pieces: the major concepts, important ideas, and a few significant supporting details. Then turn it over to the class and have students (individually or in groups) create a mind map that lays out the content terrain. Mind maps are a freer, more flexible format than concept maps. A whole-class review of some of these maps is beneficial so that map “accuracy” can be discussed and maybe corrected. If the course has several learning objectives, let each one be mapped by a different group.

Get and Give Useful Feedback

Although institutions have all moved toward online, official course evaluations, why not use this last class to get and give feedback of a different sort?

• Activity 1: Create a “stop, start, continue” structure that lists every assignment students completed during the semester. Ask students to offer feedback on the features of each of those assignments in terms of what you should stop, start, or continue doing. Be clear that it isn’t about what they “like” but the ability of the assignment to help them develop learning skills and master the material.
• Activity 2: Working in pairs, have one student read the following prompt to his or her partner: “You’ve got an interview for your dream job. The interviewer, who may become your boss, is looking at your transcript and says, ‘Oh, I see you took INSERT COURSE NAME. Tell me what you learned in that course.’” The partner answers. Then the two talk about how that answer could be improved, which segues to a whole-class discussion.
• Activity 3: Give students feedback on how you experienced the course. Share five things you’ll remember about this class and one thing about teaching you’ve learned from these students.

Make sure you keep your office hours in the last week so students can still benefit from talking to you one-on-one.

• Have a clear understanding of the format for the final exam.
• Encourage students to visit your office hours as the course comes to an end in order that they can ask questions or review any material they are unclear about.
• Prepare a final exam review session IF there is time allotted by the instructor.

Share these tips with your students about preparing for final exams. It may be important for students to

• attend the last few classes. Professors usually do a review, discuss the most important aspects of the material covered, and outline the exam format in last classes.
• ask questions about what material will be covered on the exam and if the exam is cumulative.
• ask questions about the exam’s format (multiple choice, short answer, true-false, problems, essays or a combination) and ask how the marks are divided between sections.
• decide on some main themes of the course and write down some main points under each heading when preparing for an exam.  Look through your notes and textbook and continue to fill in more details; this will allow you to see how the course information fits together and this type of understanding will get you the grades!
•  Make flash cards, write mock essays (select main themes and supporting points), develop potential exam questions, quiz yourself after each study session. Focus on finding relationships and connections among topics, themes, and concepts.
• Set up study groups to go over material and any problems you have in understanding the material.
• Make sure you understand the material and its relevance in the course.
• Search the Library Website for past exams of the course and use them to test yourself. When writing a mock exam always restrict yourself to the allotted time for the actual exam.
• If you are doing exams with multiple choice or true-false questions, the most important thing to do is learn the material overall, paying attention to details, main points and central themes. Learn all the surface points and facts