The semester finals are only a few weeks away. Many people wonder what the best way to study is. Whether by flashcards, practice quizzes, or how long to study for. Students share what their study habits are and tips for taking these tests.
There are many negative thoughts when it comes to finals. It builds stress and worries most of the students. However, teachers have reasons for doing this.
Brenda Perez, Santa Rosa Academy’s Biology teacher, explained the importance of finals. She said, “Finals are the last assessment or project students perform to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the semester’s material. Students have finals as a way to reflect on their mastery of the material and teachers have finals to reflect on their teaching abilities.” It is a final task so that both students and teachers can see how well students took in the information as well as how they understood it.
With the finals coming up, many high schoolers are worrying. Students give advice and ways to help ensure that others have the best chance on the test.
Senior Faith Krueger advises on this matter. She states, “Don’t stress too much, the more you stress, the harder it’s gonna be. If you get stuck on a question, skip it, do what you know and then come back to it.” Krueger explains that students should not worry about everything. It will get people distracted and they may not be able to perform as well as they could. She doesn’t want people to sike themselves out. She wants them to just relax and have faith in their learning.
While students do study, many of them make some mistakes. It could be forgetting that the test is soon or that they don’t have to study at all. However, there is one mistake that teachers notice more than the rest.
Perez states that the biggest mistake is cramming. Perez said, “There are students who wait until the last moment to start “studying”, but in reality what they are doing is cramming as much information as possible.”
To fix this, people need to work on actually taking the time and putting in the effort to remember what they have learned.
Ms. Perez says, “Students should start studying now, two weeks before finals, and they should allocate about 30 minutes a night distraction-free. Most teachers give study guides, therefore, students should focus on that resource.”
With studying for a longer period of time, it gives students’ minds more time to ingest the information without having to worry. But with all of this time, people still wonder what the best form of studying is.
Robert Cossio, a freshman at Santa Rosa Academy shared his way of studying. Cossio said, “When I study I have someone read the questions to me and then I answer (and) if I get it wrong then I have to study what I don’t know well.” Cossio learns from his mistakes from the answers and then knows what he needs to work on. Then, he repeats the process to make sure he knows everything.
While this is one way of studying, there are many other options on the table. Even teachers had their way of studying. They have had much experience with finals from both their high school and college years.
Perez speaks of the way she studied which was by taking notes beforehand. Perez said, “I am a visual learner, so I hand write notes or create pictures/diagrams with labels that I go over a lot so during a final I can visualize my notes and recall the information. I also like to color code my notes and information, again so that I can visualize it in my head.”
A student, Jordan Krueger, has a unique way to study. She makes sure to always understand the content and get a lot of rest.
Krueger, a senior at Santa Rosa Academy, says, “I don’t typically study for tests unless I am given a study guide. I usually like to make sure I know all of the things the teachers say to prepare for while I am being taught in class. This helps me limit study time, takes away stress, and helps me have time for other work.”
During the day of the test, there is not much someone can do. However, there are some things that students can do to make sure they do their best on the test.
Perez explains, “I would tell students to study up until the night before, students should have a good night’s sleep and have breakfast. Students should read all questions carefully and ask for help or clarification if needed during the test. Do not be afraid to ask for help.”
Along with asking for help during a test, it is very important to maintain level-headedness and have a positive attitude.
Krueger explains what she does to keep her spirits high and how she does not worry too much. Krueger says, “I stay calm by using GPA calculators to see what grade I have to get on the final to keep the grade I want in the class. This tends to be lower than most students ever get on the final so it takes the stress away knowing that you don’t have to ace your final. During the test, I keep my nerves in check by skipping the problems I don’t know right away. Usually, I end up getting a good streak of ‘easier’ questions and it helps me build up my confidence for the ones I don’t know. It also helps those problems seem less significant when I can answer other ones.”
Though it is close to these finals for the first semester, there are still more finals in the future. That being said, there are ways for students to be even more prepared for the next semester’s finals that are to come. With that, everyone believes the best tool and helper for any test is by taking notes.
Faith Krueger, Jordan Krueger’s twin sister, says, “When it comes to tests, I think notes are really important, taking the notes the teachers give you are so helpful in the long run.” Along with that, her sister, Jordan Krueger tells students the best way to be prepared. “Use your notes! Or take detailed notes. The classes I was the most successful in were the ones where I took the best notes. Even when the notes aren’t required, TAKE THEM.”
All in all, students use many ways of studying. But the key details are on preparing. Make sure not to cram, and keep yourself calm and positive. Have notes on hand and always try to understand the content. Study until the night before and have a good night’s rest. Eat breakfast and give your body nutrition. During the test, make sure to ask questions if you do not understand the problem at hand. Even then, if you don’t know the answer, skip it for now and go back to it to give your mind time to remember. Just stay positive and you will find that you will give yourself the best chance against the finals.
