Right now you’re probably refreshing the weather forecast hourly and playing out every possible scenario in your head that could get you out of taking exams tomorrow.
But despite the impending snow storm, it’s time to keep your eyes on the prize. One day down, only three to go.
Even if there is a delay or a school cancellation tomorrow, it’s important to take advantage of the extra time and look over that review packet one last time.
Here are a few helpful tips that should make the rest of finals week a little more bearable:
- Study.
I know this is a no brainer, but there are still plenty of kids who think they can just “wing” an exam. It’s 20% of your semester grade and a few hours of studying can never hurt. - Get extra help.
Finals end at 11:30 each day yet teachers have to remain at school until 2:15. Go find your teacher and get some clarification on the questions you were unsure about. They’d probably be happier to help you than grade exams anyways.If you can’t track your teacher down or they are in a workshop, Edmodo is the next best thing. Send them a question and attach a picture of the problem and they will respond as soon as they can. - Study during the day, Sleep at night.
Again, another tip that seems like a given.Everyone’s snapchat stories at 2 A.M. with piles of notes spread all over their beds may seem impressive, but really it’s probably just an example of poor time management. You get out of school at 11:30 A.M. during finals week, so why are you waiting until 11:30 P.M. to start learning the 140 vocab words you’re being tested on tomorrow morning?Get your studying done early so you can actually get some rest. Numerous studies have proven that all-nighters can actually be detrimental to your test performance. - Work hard, play hard.
Yes, the week is stressful, but it’s important not to let your studying consume you. Take a break now and then, even if it just means taking an hour to get lunch with a friend. Your friends are all in the same boat so even if you spend your whole lunch break talking about the exam, it’s still better than panicking to yourself at home. - Study now for future exams.
Right now Friday seems so far away, but it’ll be here before you know it. If you’ve got hard finals on this day, it’s best to start studying today. Studying smaller sections over a series of days allows you to retain more information than cramming the night before will. - Take care of yourself.
Shower, wear clean clothes, drink water, and eat foods high in nutrients. It’s easy to forget about these things when you’re preoccupied with salvaging your semester grades, but for your own well-being its important.
Your final grades are not the end-all, be-all. If nothing else, take this as a learning experience and make note of what to do differently at the end of next semester.
