As the first semester here in high school comes to an end, students have begun stressing about their final grades. While making up late work, turning in missing assignments, retaking tests, and doing some extra credit can make a difference in your overall grade, one of the main factors in your grade is how well you do in the final. Most class finals aren’t worth more than 50% of the overall grade, meaning you want to make sure you study hard and do well on your finals. 

Finals week starts Monday on December 16th. So you want to make sure you give yourself enough time to study for all six of your finals. One tip is learning how to manage your time, it is very important to manage your time wisely. This means making sure you have time throughout the day to write down anything in your classes you’re not understanding or anything you want to re-read later on to better understand. 

Another tool you can use while studying for your final is writing down anything you didn’t understand during class and going back to it later on. It’s best to focus on what you least understand, that way by the time the final comes you will be an expert on it. 

Another tip is having a snack! It’s always good to gain nutrients, it helps your brain flow as well as helping you retain information more easily. Snack related tip number two is to chew the same flavored gum while studying for your final as well as when you take the final, this way you will remember the information easier. 

Use your resources! The After School Jags program in the library is a great tool to help you study. If you are having trouble with a topic the tutors there can help you with anything and will work with you until you have a better understanding of the subject. 

Another easy and effortless tip is writing in color while taking notes or studying. The color will trick your brain into remembering the information better. Highlighter is a great way to use color while studying. 

Study groups can also be a great way to prepare for your final. But they can also be just as distracting, so if you are going to use a study group you have to make sure you follow some simple tips. One; make sure to include different types of kids from your class, invite people who you don’t normally talk to because they might understand something you don’t. Two; make sure to host the study sessions in a school environment so you don’t get distracted. 

Last but not least, make sure not to study too much. By over-studying you can cause yourself unnecessary stress. You only need to study about 30 minutes per day, any longer study sessions can cause you to stop retaining information.