Final Exam Preparations

The final quarter of the school year is just around the corner, meaning that final exams are coming up soon. Some say that it’s never too early to start studying, so what are some of the best ways to prepare?

Resources

Flashcards are one of the most popular ways to study as they are very easy to make. Quizlet is also very convenient as there are plenty of premade sets for almost every subject.

“I’m a huge fan of Quizlet flashcards,” sophomore McKnight Welzbacher said. “Depending on the subject, I’ll either make my own or use pre-made decks.”

In addition to flashcards, there are also several other online interactive resources. One can take part in virtual labs, watch videos and join discussions on several subjects. This is especially useful for visual learners.

“I like to watch videos that are visually stimulating, since I’m a huge visual learner,” Welzbacher said. “It really helps me put a picture in my mind that I can recall during the test.”

Students that are visual learners and take AP classes commonly use a website called fiveable.me. The website offers several videos, discussions and practice assignments for a variety of AP classes.

“I think the website is great,” sophomore Judy Zhao said. “It’s an excellent source for review.”

Time Management

Although there are plenty of resources to study from, there is no way to study if one does not regulate their time correctly.

“I play football, soccer and lacrosse varsity,” senior Slade Dollar said. “I put all the time I can into them about 20 hours a week. They make it really difficult at times to get all my schoolwork done and limit my hours of studying, so I’m up late many nights.”

Dollar also said he works four hours at the conservancy every weekend. With so many things to do, it can be quite a common issue to have no free time for studying.

“Most of my study time is on the weekends,” Welzbacher said. “I tend to save my weekdays for homework and light study refreshers. During finals, I’m not able to spend as much time on my hobbies as I wish I could. Photography and reading are dearly missed during these times, but they pick right up after finals are over.”

Different Ways of Studying

As different classes carry on throughout the year, one may notice how they all require  unique ways of studying. These can include memorization, interactive activities, practice problems or reviewing lectures.

Now with the digital age, access to these ways of studying is so much easier with most lessons being posted online. This makes it easy for students to go back to units they struggled on to improve their skills.

“Math is a huge memorization type study, while AP World History, AP Biology and chemistry are definitely more visual study methods,” Welzbacher said. “I feel that if you make studying ‘fun,’ it makes things easier to remember and you don’t burn out as fast. I watch just about every video I can find on YouTube!”

Teacher Advice

When it comes to studying, some believe that the material can be best learned when it’s originally being taught. This way, students can ask questions when necessary instead of falling behind.

“I give the students review sheets and websites of practice problems for reference,” geometry teacher Lisa Stanfill said. “I also prepare them all year and collect study guides and reviews as we go through the modules that I will pass back to them when we begin our review.”

With review sheets and study guides, there is a lot of study material to go off of. However, the key thing is to actually prepare yourself to learn.

“There is only so much I can do for them,” Stanfill said. “Most of their success depends on their efforts.”