It’s almost winter! The season of holiday cheer, long vacation breaks, cozy bonfires….and final exams. If your country or culture does not have finals or does at a different time, this is a welcome to a view of the world of stress and anxiety to the max, manifested in late night cramming, overdose on coffee and energy drinks, thousands of notes, review sheets, study guides, flash cards…that’s just a sneak peek. Often the pressure to succeed is overwhelming, and resorting to unhealthy methods to study like all-nighters is not ideal, but unfortunately far too prevalent in teens. (If you’d like tips on how to tackle stress and sadness in general, check out my other article.) Final exams are the ultimate lion’s den – you’re thrown into a situation you can’t control, trapped at your desk (the den), your exam paper maliciously snarling at you (the lion), and you think: “This is it. There is no easy way out.” That’s true. The process may not necessarily be easy, but you can make it easier. Less hard. Here are some tips on how to prep for and during your test:
1. Work smart, not just hard.
This test prep method is honestly the hardest thing to do for me personally. It requires concentration, determination, persistence, and ultimately NOT PROCRASTINATION.
In AP Psychology we learned about the spacing effect, a phenomenon where information is better learned when it is processed and rehearsed over time rather than all together at once. Basically, it’s much more effective to spend around half an hour each day studying for an upcoming exam a week or two beforehand, rather than cram everything you learned over a semester into your brain at 2am (believe me, I had to learn the hard way. About 10 times.) So if you can, spend a little time each day going over each of the subjects you have exams for. The closer that an exam for a certain subject is, say English, the more you can study for it every day. Study a bit a day, absorb the information, don’t binge and purge it. This method should allow you to sleep more because you won’t be spending the night before cramming everything. Take a rest, and do things wisely.
2. Read carefully. Know your instructions and format.
If you’re taking a global standardized test such as the SAT or ACT you can prep beforehand by taking mocks and reading the instructions so you don’t have to read them during the test. If not, read the instructions carefully. Sometimes they’re worded weirdly and meant to trick you. What you expect might not be what you receive. Here are some general things to think about for specific subjects (keep in mind they may not apply to all; all courses are different but you can get a gist of how you should approach the questions):
- English: This is always about critical thinking. If you’re in a literature class and must analyse a text, think about how you can demonstrate your understanding of how the writer uses language to convey meaning. What is significant about Gatsby’s relentless pining for Daisy? What does the raven in Poe’s poem symbolise? Do the literary devices you identify such as metaphor, juxtaposition, repetition, etc. create a larger theme? What does it show about the human existence and mind? These are typical questions that you should remember, or that you will see, when you’re writing an essay during a test or answering questions.
- Math: There are SO many formulas, proofs, concepts you must know that it can be overwhelming. Tricks like mnemonics or making a concept more meaningful to you personally can help. Also, practice. Math actually has right/wrong answers, unlike English that has open-ended questions. You can do problems and see what you’re weak in, then improve from there. With word problems, write out what variables they give you and what they’re asking for as you read.
- Science: Similar to math, there are usually right/wrong answers here. Depending on which science you take, you might have to do the steps of a lab, do chemical equations, or calculate the speed/distance of velocity, etc. Know your formulas, know the elements of a lab, know how to use a calculator accordingly.
- History: How have specific past events impacted foreign relations or foreshadowed later events? What are the causes, consequences, continuities of it? How have alliances and wars developed? How has the technology of that time period played a role in warfare and communication? Think about these things – and make a timeline.
If you’re taking a regular class test, make sure you clearly understand the format – is it multiple choice? if so, how many? How much time do you have in total and for each? Is it short answer? Is there an essay? If you know these things, you can prepare early. This reduces a LOT of stress and thoughts of “what the heck is this?” when you receive the actual exam paper.
3. Watch the time.
Know your pace – you might be slower in one area but faster than the other, so be aware of this. Spend the time you think necessary. If you don’t know the answer to something, move on. If you’re writing an essay, break it down – outline your ideas, then begin. Don’t get caught up or stuck on one thing, because time is ticking and the world is not patient.
4. Test yourself!
In AP Psych we also learned about the testing effect, where information is better remembered when you self-test or rehearse. You can ask a friend to quiz you on material, create a quizlet for vocab, talk out loud…Don’t just read over your notes! Your brain needs to engage itself and skimming over the textbook won’t cut it.
5. Find balance.
I juggle four higher level courses (AP and IB) along with 6 clubs and 3 sports (one each season), aside from Affinity Mag. This week I have 6 exams. But that’s not my whole life – I like to hang out with my friends, binge watch tv shows, listen to music, read books, take pictures, etc. I like doing things outside of school too, so I have to set time for school and time for other things. That means I have to sacrifice study time, and I have to come to terms with performing as well as I can with as much available time as I have, without feeling like I’m dying or falling down a bottomless pit. You need to too. There is incredible pressure on millennials today to succeed – and this may conflict with their passion to do things they love. But it’s not black vs. white. You can find a balance, and you can find acceptance, and you can find happiness and success. Tests are not indicators of your whole future. Tests do not represent you.
Take time and effort to study for them wisely, but not excessively. Start by doing as well as you can, then a little better than last time. You can do it.
This was a brief overview of things you can do to get started on test preparation, but if you want more tips on studying in general or for specific subjects (AP/IB/general courses) you can also check out Tumblr. There’s a whole platform known as “studyblr” committed to promoting healthy and smart studying. The community is so supportive and great; I highly suggest checking out some of these blogs to get started:
- studyign has insane master posts
- anthea violet is very active and responds to any messages
- the purple studies is also very active and inspiring!
- comprehensive index of studyblrs
