By: Flynn Lloyd | News Editor
Dear San Clemente High School Students,
Finals are on their way. Although we all are excited for Christmas and drag through these last few weeks, many students forget that we first must overcome dreaded finals. Unfortunately, stress and tears is the reality of finals, and whether you’re a Senior, taking your last fall finals, or a Freshman, just starting, advice to conquer these tests never comes unwanted. Don’t worry, we still have time, and with about a week left I will offer the best tips I have found in creating a less stressful week.
The first essential to any finals study sesh is simply cry. Sometimes letting tears flow can be the only solution, especially if you’re expecting that C in AP Euro to be rounded to an A. Once you’ve cried a healthy amount, you’ve already wasted some of the near crucial procrastination period. This period can last to 1-7 hours, but if you really want to have an easy week, definitely spend some quality time with your phone. Your screen is your best friend, and even as you mindlessly scroll through repeated photos on your feed, remember, finals are one week and the feed aesthetic is forever. Procrastination becomes a true skill. To distract yourself and procrastinate the packets of study guides you have waited to start, go get lunch or go hang out with friends instead! Also don’t forget to form study groups. Study groups at Panera or Starbucks are a great tool, mixing ideas and teaching each other can be very beneficial, especially when the only thing you retain is the latest gossip. One piece of advice that will always be timeless are naps. Naps will produce a great feeling for a hot minute, then leave you staying up till 1 a.m. restless, yet who wouldn’t want the endless poor of coffee you will need the next morning. Some advisors might suggest playing classical music, but for the A1 quality results all students look for, I advise playing an upbeat song at the highest volume to drown out any educational or stressing thoughts. Saving homework till the morning of, binging your favorite Netflix show, or hanging out with your pet (particularly dogs), instead of homework, are also all viable options to becoming the most prepared for your finals. I hope these tips help you feel prepared for the week ahead!
Though many of those tips are sufficient ways to study, in all seriousness, there are more effective and efficient ways to achieve an A on your finals. First of all, the best tactic you can take in studying is to stay organized. By writing down a plan for your week, what you need to get done and when it’s going to be done, you can force yourself to stay on task and stay efficient. When managed well, another great study tool are study groups. If you and your group come with individual questions and study work to get done, study groups can be organized and very effective in learning more and teaching others. Although putting away your phone can be hard with schoolloop and the amount of resources on it, by placing your phone in a drawer away from you, you can ignore social media and get work done faster. This overall prevents late nights spent catching up from procrastination as well. One study tactic I find effective is reading notes out loud or to someone else, by reading your notes out loud or teaching someone what you know, you are less likely to forget the information you have studied. Additionally, using your resources wisely can help immensely in better studying habits. There are many resources available to students now such as: Khan Academy, Quizlet, Adam Norris (YouTube for History), and even your teacher and study guides. Seek help when you know you need it and don’t be afraid to be wrong! Overall, everyone studies differently and it’s merely a matter of deciding which method works best for you. As you’re finding the best study habits, remember to know your limits well and not over stress because that will only make the tests worse.
Good Luck Tritons, we’re going to ace these finals!
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