We as students are reaching our home stretch! School can be stressful, especially as we get closer to finals. It may seem overwhelming when teachers assign loads of homework and assignments on top of the need to study for exams. There are many ways to tackle the load and work through the stress efficiently.

Plan out your week

For starters, plan out your weeks! It is very helpful to write down the days that you have exams and homework assignments. It doesn’t hurt to be overly prepared for the weeks to come. There are many ways to organize your schedule, from using fun planners to simply a lined notebook that can be easily accessible. Moving onto the classes, you can simply color coordinate your planner or notebook by assigning a specific class with a special color. 

The homework load itself may seem hectic, but don’t worry! Take it one step at a time. If you have an assignment that is due two weeks from the day that it was assigned, you can set aside 30 minutes a day to work on the assignment rather than saving it for the day before. This allows you to not only finish the assignment early but also gives you enough time to focus on work for other classes.

Ways to Study

When studying for important tests such as finals, there are many ways to study. Once again, color coordination works wonders when it comes to memorization. An effective way to memorize terms is by making flashcards on index cards and using colorful markers to make studying fun. If you are having trouble retaining information there are many ways to work on that too! For example, if there is a class that you struggle in more than others, it is beneficial to re-read your notes every day after each lesson to better understand the material. 

If you do this every day it will work like this: Go over notes from the beginning of the unit for an hour a day – each day you will add a new lesson. This will make you familiar with the previous lesson and will not have to study that specific one as much, as time progresses. By the time it’s your exam day, you will already be familiar with all of the material! This saves you time studying because you break it up throughout the week when you reinforce what you are learning.

Practice Self-care

It is also important to practice self-care during these stressful times. At times it feels impossible to do well in school without feeling good inside. How can you practice self-care? There are many ways to make time for yourself! It can be riding your bike in the sunshine or going to bed an hour earlier to ensure that you get a good night’s rest. These small changes throughout the week can make a big difference in performance on tests and even motivate you to do your homework.

Social Interaction

Social interaction is also a healthy aspect of school life. It can be beneficial to meet with peers from your classes to study and discuss your classes. Not only will you meet friends with similar interests, but you can create study groups. If there are topics that you struggle with, one of your peers may be able to help you learn the information. It also works vice versa and can lead to better test scores.

Overall, there are many easy strategies that can help you and your peers push through finals and finish strong! From organizing your planner with fun colors to making time for yourself, you can be prepared for the end of the school year and the following years to come. 

This blog was written by Samantha, a High Sierra AHEC Student Ambassador.