By Grace Elsner '20
The Wednesday before exams: a bit of stress, perhaps a bit of confusion, and excitement for Christmas Break.
I can almost guarantee that in some way you have been taught "how" to study, what kind of studier you are, and that you should not waste time. I have been told that I am an organized person, and I often am asked how I study for exams. Below are things that I do to prepare for exams. See the copies of my notebook attached. I recreated them from my first semester exam schedule from last year.
I should start this article noting that I am an extremely visual person. When something does not make sense, I tend to write, draw, or organize. It really helps me. If you aren't that way, it does not mean that you cannot try these tips below.
Here is how I prepare for #ExamSeason:
Prioritize your exams:
It is so much easier to begin to study if you can physically write down the exams in order of "importance". Not to say that not all exams are important, but some people need to study for English more than others.
Create a study plan:
Now that you have a list of exams that you are taking, it is time to plan out how you are going to study. For some people, it is best for them to judge "progress" by material (Example: review chapters 1 on one day, chapter 2 on another day), but for me I like to judge studying by time, while keeping material in mind.
Find your spot:
Since you have a plan, you need to find what area promotes the best way to work. For me, I have to study for English exams in complete silence. For math, I can go work at Starbucks. The most important thing is to find what works for you, and that might be many different places.
Email your teachers if you have questions:
The minute you feel confused, it is time to go either consult a friend or even better, your teacher. Especially if you have a later in the week exam, go find them during the thirty minute break in between and get your questions answers. Sometimes they say it is better to figure things out by yourself, but there have been many times where I have walked into an exam wishing I would have asked my question, but knowing it is too late.
Prepare your materials the night before:
There is a good reason why we have half days over exam week. Do your studying during the day/evening. But, before you go to bed, make sure that that mandatory printed out study guide is placed in your backpack. Make sure your computer is charging. You shouldn't miss 10% of the grade because you forgot an assignment that went along with the exam.