As finals week is just around the corner, students have started preparing for their exams. Spending the week before finals efficiently by having a set schedule and study techniques is crucial for students to give their best efforts. The Paw Print has spoken with a few students about their methods of preparing for finals week.
Sophomore Govind Sudan explained his method of studying for his finals in AP Chemistry and AP World History, where he studies for 45 minutes and takes a break for 15 minutes. He emphasized that this works best for him as it helps him to “stay focused” for the long hours of studying.
Sudan elaborated on the process of his study sessions: “I’m going over the notes from the whole year and reading the textbook and then watching the informative Youtube videos.”
Similarly, Prisicilla Kim, a senior who is taking AP Calculus B/C and AP Macroeconomics, has been studying accordingly for each of her finals. She explained, “For [AP Calculus], I’m reviewing all my notes and going through the review packet we got in class and then for Econ I’m watching videos for each topic.”
Many students have been going over their notes that have been adding up since the beginning of the year. Kim emphasized the importance of this, as it comes in handy when reviewing everything for finals.
Another sophomore, Grace Ha, described how she has tried many different study strategies including the “Pomodoro Method” and “Active Recall.” The Pomodoro Method is a popular way of studying that involves breaking down study sessions into intervals and separating it with short breaks. Another approach for studying, Active Recall, allows students to actively retrieve information by testing their knowledge through methods like flashcards. By utilizing these techniques, Ha spaces out her studying and memorizes terms more efficiently.
Ha also explained how she has been reviewing past notes from the entire semester: “I print [the notes] out to redo them without any help and test my knowledge.”
Finding a motivating factor, such as better college applications in the future, the upcoming winter break, or the promise of good grades, might be able to help during this long and stressful time. Cats, study hard and good luck on your finals!
