I know that finals season is going to be upon many of us very soon, so I decided that I'd share with you guys some of the things that I do to study for high school finals. Okay, let's get staaaaarted!
1. Make a study schedule.
This has been one of THE most valuable things that I have ever done in my high school career. I find my bullet journal(which I can make a more in-depth blog post about later if you want), and then write down the dates of all of my finals. Then I figure I should start studying for my more difficult finals in a week in advance, so that I don't feel stressed the weekend of. You can go more thorough with your schedule and plan out what exactly you're going to study on which days, or not, if you feel pretty confident at your pace. Reviewing over a longer period of time is way more useful than cramming! Your brain has a longer time to process and remember the information, and you will have a higher chance at succeeding! You will probably be surprised at how much time you actually have to study when you sort it all out. My finals schedule normally looks something like this:
The emphasis on AFTER can not be stressed enough! When I hear people talk about concepts that I haven't reviewed in a while, I get overwhelmed with all that I don't know, and this can be avoided! Studying at your own pace beforehand and then going over some practice problems, vocab words, etc with other people will be much more beneficial for you and your friend's time.
3. Study in a nice place that's not your room.
I definitely recommend going into a room that is quite boring and doesn't have a lot of things that can distract you(your phone lol 10/10 throw it away that week). OR, if you can, go out of the house and to a library or Barnes and Noble and treat yourself to a coffee study date by yourself! Those atmospheres can be really perfect because you are stuck with nothing to do BUT study.
4. Put on classical music.
This is so weird, but it is actually so calming and you will just feel more intellectual listening to it. When I was studying for AP U.S. History, I would listen to classical music along with this "rainy mood," website playing in the background(it's basically the sound of rain, link here), and it helped me to block out all of the other noises in my house and focus more on what I was studying. Even if it doesn't work, it's great to be more well-rounded in your music taste!
5. Try to get a good night's sleep the week leading up to finals too!
I know that many people suggest getting a good nights sleep the night before your finals, but even while you're studying, if you get a good night of sleep you will be able to focus way better and take in information easier than if you are staying up every night to cram all the information in your head. The study schedule should help you to manage your time wisely if you follow it, so that you WON'T have to stay up all night cramming.
6. Use online resources.
There are so many great websites out there to help you do well at finals! One cool website that I've used multiple times before is quizlet, and online flash card website. You can make your own flashcrd sets, search for others' sets, and put the app on your phone so you can study on the go! Also, there are study bloggers (studyblrs for short) on tumblr.com and websites like that that will get you inspired to study and make cute notes and be organized. Here is one studyblr that I get a lot of great ideas from: Hermione 2.0, Just make sure not to spend too much time on their blogs! ;)
7. Don't forget to reward yourself/Take breaks!1
Very important! Even if you call a friend up for an hour in between your studying, I find that it's super helpful and refreshing to do that instead of spending time on my phone for breaks. After I take AP tests even, I will most likely go out to eat with my friends and celebrate that the long haul of studying is finally over! Rejoice that you're done testing, and don't talk too much about the final with your friends. This can stress you out more than you know, and you can't go back and change the past. No regrets!! :)
Remember, finals aren't the end of the world as well. There's more to life after your final and school, even! You will do an amazing job.
Best of luck!
Joy :)
