Written by Hagar Ezzo
Edited by Duha
Whether you’re in the middle, high school, or college, finals are just around the corner. We couldn’t be more anxiously waiting for summer, so here are some tips to ace those exams and start packing ASAP!
Space Out Your Studying
While procrastination has always been our best friend, it’s been shown that spacing out the material over the course of a few days actually helps you remember it for longer. And – on the off chance you do end up forgetting something, it’s easier to relearn.
Test Yourself
Studying efficiently isn’t just about reading the textbook and notes, you have to dig deeper. It’s very likely that the questions on the exam aren’t going to be exactly stated like in the notes, so get comfortable with the material and quiz yourself! If you have access to some sort of test review or past exams, use those. If not, get a friend/family member to ask you some questions.
Take a Break (You deserve it!)
Studying for hours on end can really take a toll on your physical and mental being. Even if you do space out the material, that doesn’t mean you should study for 4 consecutive hours a day. Get up and stretch, grab a snack, talk to someone. Take small breaks between chapters to refresh your brain.
Listen to Music
Studies show that listening to music while studying can actually improve your mood and increase motivation. I personally enjoy listening to lo-fi music since it gives me a nice tune to follow, but isn’t too distracting.
Make Flash Notecards
Everyone studies differently, some people use a notebook while others use their laptop (and both methods are totally valid), but notecards can be super helpful regardless of how you study. Writing out key concepts and stubborn points on a few notecards can be really handy to have in those last moments before a test.
While finals can definitely be stressful no matter what grade you’re in, just remember to stay calm and you’ll get through it. Grades don’t really determine how smart a person is, so take them with a grain of salt, and good luck to everyone!
