Sarah Goggin, Sophomore
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As the first semester is coming to an end, it is time for everyone’s least favorite time of the year: finals. A major cause of stress for all students, finals can make or break your grade for this semester! However, with some planning beforehand, studying can be the key to your success this semester. Keep reading for some of the most helpful ways to study, with some tips and tricks sprinkled in! Tip: Don’t try to cram! Rather than doing all of your studying right before the exam, it’s best to spread it out over a few days and study in intervals. Scientists recommend studying for 40-50 minutes and then taking a 5-10 minute break. This helps you avoid overloading your brain with information, and will help you remember everything you need to succeed on your exam.
Alternating study spots is another great way to increase your studying potential. Rather than boring yourself by staying in one place for hours on end, it’s best to move to a few different spots while studying. While conducting an experiment, psychologists discovered that studying in different atmospheres increased students’ retention of information and test scores. You may want to try studying in a library, at a desk in your home, and at a quiet coffee shop or cafe. 📷
Tip: Create a study schedule! Writing out a set schedule for when you’ll study for each exam will help you stay on track and study everything you need to. That way, you can split the material into chunks and may feel less overwhelmed when seeing the amount of material you have to cover. You can also feel accomplished looking at what you’ve already done, hopefully motivating you to keep going.
If you’re having a lot of trouble in a specific subject, meet with your teacher to clarify any information you have questions about. Not only can your teacher help by reteaching any material that you are unsure of, but they can also provide useful tips on what materials to study over others. Furthermore, if your teacher is hosting a study session after school, be sure to attend! That way, you can reinforce any concepts you were unsure about while getting an overview of the class (and therefore the exam) to see what you covered.
Tip: Take practice tests! Although your teacher may not provide practice tests in class, you can most likely find one online for the classes you are taking. Although they may not cover all of the information covered in your specific class, practice tests are a helpful way to see what you need to work on and how the test may look. Keeping track of the questions you get wrong will show you the exact areas you need to study, helping to increase your score when the real exam arrives.
Finally, make sure to use a study guide! Usually, teachers will provide you with a study guide that has everything you need to know for the final exam. Get the most out of them by filling them out and trying your best, and then check them with the answer key or ask to go over it in class. If your teacher doesn’t provide a study guide, make your own! That way, you know you are understanding all the material and can see exactly what you aren't sure about.
Finals season is stressful for everyone, but using these study tips can help you get the best grade possible.
Sources
Alston, Shaniese. “Scientifically, The Best Ways To Prepare For Final Exams.” Big Ideas Blog, 4 Feb. 2015, blog.suny.edu/2013/12/scientifically-the-best-ways-to-prepare-for-final-exams/.
Hoyt, Elizabeth. “20 Study Strategies for Finals Week.” Fastweb, 6 Sept. 2018, www.fastweb.com/student-life/articles/the-20-study-tips-for-finals.
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