The tap of a pencil, a muffled sneeze three rows back, a heavy sigh to the left, and above it all, the tick the clock, checking off every second that zooms by. This isn’t just another bunch of tests, this is finals, and they are looming right around the corner. No worries though, you did study, right? Ms. Valerie Charat, Academic Advisor and Director of After School Tutoring, knows the dangers of the siren call that is the Whale Trail theme song, and is here to offer some helpful advice when it comes to acing finals, even in the face of those tempting digital distractions.
With the new addition of the iPad, students who already find themselves easily distracted may be stuck when it comes to putting aside the screen and picking up the binder. But that may not be completely necessary! Ms. Charat suggests a surprising alternative: take the iPad everywhere. Her reasoning is this “A lot of teachers have presentations, e-texts, iMovies or other modes they have used to convey class content, and all those can be accessed virtually anywhere”. This means that in the car, while waiting for a class to start, or just killing time at your little sibling’s soccer practice, tools for studying can be accessed anywhere, anytime.
Among the resources your teacher provides, such sites as Quizlet, Khan Academy, and YouTube-Education can also help with reviewing and comprehension.
And to make sure that when you pull that square of possibilities out, you’re using it effectively, Ms. Charat suggests removing games, if only during finals week, and, as simple as it sounds, “Try to exert self-control when it comes to social media.” Stick to a schedule: Study for 45 minutes, then indulge in some Facebooking for 15 minutes.
Keeping it small will also make it easier on yourself, whether studying digitally or with other mediums. “Try making small goals for yourself,” suggests Ms. Charat. Tell yourself that you will study 15 minutes of science, 15 minutes of English, then 15 minutes of math, and then take your break. “Smaller and more specific goals are often easier to accomplish,” says Ms. Charat.
Visual distractions are everywhere, but so are auditory ones. Though music may be comforting, Ms. Charat says, “If you are going to listen to music, make sure it is without lyrics. Also, it should be at a low volume and preferably not in headphones.”
However, it’s not just music that can draw your attention away from the page or screen. Many have a parent or sibling that isn’t currently studying, and so has no problem blasting the TV or chatting away on the phone. Ms. Charat advises everyone to “Pick out a predetermined area to study each day that is quiet and calm.” Do not study on your bed, in front of the TV, or in a room where you will be easily distracted.
So you’ve found a time, a place, and know how to stay focused;now, you need to figure out what exactly you have to study. A finals handout titled “Preparing for Finals” and compiled by the learning center advises students to make lists of the topics they need to review in each subject, create study guides, and compile materials that they’ll need in order to study successfully. There is no worse feeling than realizing you forgot to study that one chapter the moment you sit down to take your final. Plus, who doesn’t love to cross items off a list, knowing you wont have study them again for at least another six months?
Just as each subject will have a different list of topics, so will it have its own unique way to study those topics. For example, in history make timelines, outlines, and flashcards. In math, avoid just leafing through the pages; instead, work out problems from chapter tests and make flash cards of important formulas and theorems.
It’s not about going through the motions, though. This isn’t a zombie movie; try to add some life to the process. Ms. Charat advises students to “Keep track of information that didn’t stick, and make sure to review that several more times.” You can do this by having a piece of paper handy in case you need to jot down questions that you will have to address with the teacher before the final.
However, with all this talk of flashcards and focus, it’s easy to get caught up in the stress of success. Ms. Charat claims that the most important thing to remember-and no, it’s not what year Columbus sailed the ocean blue- is that “There is life after finals! So everyone should try their best, but keep a healthy perspective about the purpose and meaning of finals.” Once pencil hits scantron, it’s too late for regrets; and in fact, Ms. Charat comments that “It’s no surprise that research on students with test anxiety (shows) that redirecting one’s focus back to the questions, rather than continuing (negative) internal dialogue, results in higher test scores”.
Another way to reduce anxiety and stress is to pinpoint your response – whether it’s sweating, shaking, or beginning to itch for a nap -and making a deliberate effort to manage those feelings. For freshmen, this may be difficult since, as Ms. Charat says “Midterms are a greater unknown.” But she also says that “Knowing the format of the test, and taking time to think about the teacher and how they teach, can help a student prepare for the experience”.
The night before, make sure you get a good night’s rest, and on the morning of an exam, eat a healthy breakfast. Stay calm. If you prepared, there is nothing to worry about, and if you didn’t, focus instead on doing your best instead of how poorly you think you are going to do.
In regards to the test itself, Ms. Charat advises that “Students focus on their breathing. Slow, deep breaths can help calm nerves”. Negative thoughts can poison this calm, and it’s best to put them aside. Once the test is over, don’t think about what you could have missed, how many B’s you got in a row, or how you might have possibly forgotten to write your name, just move on to your next final and know that you are one test closer to winter break.
For Cathedral, winter break is the shining light at the end of the dark tunnel of finals, but for most schools, who take their midterms after break, it is the calm before the storm. Ms. Charat supports this policy and says “I believe that it benefits students to be tested before going on an extended holiday. Best of all, when exams are over CCHS students can take a deep breath and truly enjoy their holiday time with family and friends!”
By Emily Fields (revised from an earlier story by Morgan Hazel)
