Start practicing for an algebra final at least a month before the exam. If you study for 30 minutes every day from the start of the course to the end, you will minimize the time you need to prepare for your final.
Go back to basics. Write out the definition of polynomials and create examples of them. This exercise will help jog your memory and will help you start thinking like the person writing your exam.
Repeat Step 1 for all of the basic algebraic concepts such as factoring, polynomial manipulation, graphing lines, interpreting graphical information from equations, the basic definitions and operations of functions, variables and their uses and the formulas associated with finding distances on graphs.
Try to come up with questions about these topics that you might ask your own students if you were giving them an exam. This will allow you to use your knowledge of the basic concepts to synthesize a different way of understanding those concepts.
Complete math problems that require a basic understanding of the fundamental concepts you have reviewed. In general, these will be at the beginning of an algebra text book. Aim to do to 10 to 15 problems a day. Gauge your practice carefully, and aim to work with the concepts that you have the most trouble understanding. You may need to do more than 15 problems to feel confident, and that's okay: Do as many as you need to feel comfortable with the material.
Work your way toward intermediate concepts. Once you've mastered the basics you will be able to better understand more complicated operations. Intermediate concepts include solving and factoring quadratic equations, solving systems of equations, advanced functions that have asymptotes and discontinuities, working with basic matrices and their operations and the laws of logarithms and exponents. If you have trouble completing problems, make sure you get help from an instructor. Check your answers. Visual diagrams whenever possible. This visualization will give you another way to help your brain remember what it has practiced.
Repeat Step 2 and Step 3 for the intermediate concepts. Plan to do 10 to 15 practice problems a day. Since intermediate algebra also tests your understanding of basic algebraic ideas, you will be practicing the basics again while you work toward a solid grasp of the intermediate ideas.
Tackle advanced algebra ideas such as conic sections, rational equations and their graphing and manipulation, sequences, algebraic proofs and lengthy word problems that integrate many algebra ideas into a single question. Aim to complete 5 to 10 of these problems daily. If there is a problem you cannot complete, try to figure out what you don't understand, and bring your questions to an instructor.
Sleep well the night before the exam, and eat breakfast on the day of the final.