Top Ten Ways to Prepare for Finals
Finals week is here! For a lot of students this can be the most stressful week of the first semester. Here are the top ten ways to prepare for finals:
10. Be organized with your school materials. Have your class materials organized so that when you go to study, you aren’t scrambling through your backpack and folders. I do my best to color code my folders with my notebooks so that when finals come around, I know exactly which notebook goes with which folder.
9. Dress appropriately on finals days. It has been proved that when you dress up nicely for a test, you do better than when you wear just a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. It gets your mind in the mood that you are doing something important and it tells your brain that the test really matters. You don’t have to come to school wearing a full on tuxedo or a business dress but you want to dress nice and comfortable.
8. Eat a healthy breakfast. You want to be well nourished when you take a test, especially a final. This helps your body function properly and helps you think clearly when you take a test.
7. Coming in at number seven, I would highly suggest checking your grade daily, about a week prior to finals. By doing this, you are keeping a close eye on your grade and you know exactly what grade you have going into the final. Additionally, know what grade you need to get on the final to keep your grade or boost it. I suggest the app, Exam Calculator. You just plug in your grade, the grade you want, and then the weight of the final.
6. Communicate with your teachers. At least a week or two before finals, talk to your teachers about your grade and see if there is anything that can be made up or turned in if it is missing. This not only shows your teachers that you care, but it also helps you study and prepare for finals in advance.
5. Stick to your normal routine. If you’re the type of person that always comes home from school, takes a nap, and then stays up doing homework or studying, stick to it. If you’re the type of person the drinks coffee every morning, then stick to it. If you try to adjust your normal routine by suddenly going to bed later or drinking coffee in the morning, you are mentally psyching yourself out. You are confusing your brain and you just won’t perform as well on the finals.
4. Relax during the test. During the test, let your knowledge take over. Since the first day of school you have been learning and preparing for the final in one way or another. Believe in your education and trust that you know what you’re doing. If you don’t pay attention in class and if you don’t study, then I would be worried. Good luck in that case!
3. Pace yourself. There are always time limits for finals so make sure to keep an eye on the time. You want to make sure you finish the test in a comfortable amount of time.
2. Get plenty of sleep. Sleeping is a good time to rest your body. Also, by getting a good amount of sleep, you feel fresh and ready to tackle your tests. For teenagers, it is recommended to get about 9-10 hours of sleep a night.
1. Study! Unless you’re a super genius and you memorize everything the minute you see it, you should study for your finals! How would you expect to do well if you don’t prepare for the test? Studying boosts your confidence in the materials and helps you keep good time on the test.
Good luck to everyone this week! I hope these tips help you succeed during finals!