Guide to Conquering Finals

          As the school year comes to an end and summer approaches, many high school students are faced with one last academic challenge: finals.  While finals help to assess how much a student learned and gauge their weaknesses, they can be very stressful, especially when students do not know how to study.  However, with a few simple steps, students can become prepared and do well on their final exams.

1)      Make a plan and stick to it.  “Make a study plan and don’t wait for the last minute to study,” said sophomore Ellen Wang.  Because finals cover a large amount of material, some students find it difficult to determine what to study and how much to study; asking a teacher what will be covered and making a plan to study that material will help ensure students do well.

2)      Take breaks.  “You remember the beginning and end of what you study, so take a lot of short breaks to retain the most information,” said Wang.  One common reason students avoid studying is because it can take a lot of time.  By studying for short bursts, students can combat the urge to give up and retain even more material.

3)      Get a good night’s rest.  “Make sure to get lots of sleep before your tests,” said sophomore Sangeeta Samuel.  Multiple scientific studies have found that proper rest is a key to success on exams.  Students should aim for at least eight hours each night, especially the week before.

4)      Get proper nutrition.  “Eat a good breakfast so you have energy,” said Samuel.  Breakfast is the first meal that your body gets after 7-8 hours of not eating.  Thus making it an important part of everyone’s diet.  However, many students do not consume a meal first thing in the morning, denying their bodies of proper nutrition. This makes it more difficult for the student to perform well academically, but this can be changed very easily solely by consuming food in the morning.

5)      Be prepared with everything you need for the final.  Although the majority of finals are cumulative exams, some classes have different ways to assess a student.  “Teachers should have a rubric [concerning the final] set up for students, who should then go to through the topics listed,” said Latin teacher Mark Finkelstein.  Knowing exactly what and how the material will be assessed can give students confidence and help them to succeed on the day of their exam.

Although finals can be a tough subject for many individuals, preparing adequately and properly can help.  “The most important thing is to be prepared,” said Samuel.  “Make sure you study and have everything you need and you’ll do great.”