The most wonderful time of the year is here! But before they can celebrate, most students will have to face end of semester finals.
Finals cause a lot of stress because they are heavily weighted and can drastically alter a students grade. To help your student perform their best on their finals, we have provided some master tips below.
#1 - Identify what type of final your student will take
There are two styles of test your student's teacher may choose to present: a cumulative final or an end of unit final. If your student doesn't know what format of exam they will have, it's best to email their teacher so you don't waste time reviewing material that won't be tested or.. worse... not study content that will show up on the exam.
Cumulative finals recap all the information students have learned in the semester. This is either good news or bad news for your student depending on whether they have had extra time to practice and become familiar with material, or if they have become rusty on topics they haven't seen in two months.
End of Unit tests will recap the most recent chapter they were taught.
#2 - Start Early
Many students will face multiple finals, projects, and maybe even papers. It's best to start studying now so they don't need to cram and feel stressed at the last second.
#3 - Get Enough Rest
A good night's rest helps students to perform their best. Rather than staying up late cramming for an exam, go to bed early and review final notes before going to school.
#4 - Identify what Learning Style Works Best for Your Student
Understanding what type of learner your student is will help them be able to effectively study.
There's a couple methods people best learn:
Visual. Visual learners use maps and diagrams to understand problem solving steps and how concepts relate to one another.
Auditory. Auditory learners learn through listening. Making up rhymes/songs to help them memorize facts (like a times table).
Kinesthetic. Kinesthetic learners learn on the go. They like to move around and be active while studying. If you have an elementary student, gamifying flash cards and using manipulatives helps a lot with focus and retention.
Social. Social learners memorize information and confirm their understanding of concepts by reteaching it to others. They thrive in study groups.
#5 - Prioritize Your Study Time
Things to consider when deciding how to spend your study time:
You want to make sure you prioritize your time in such a way that you can get as many good grades as possible.
#6 - Prevent Burnout
If your eyes are beginning to glaze over or you find yourself reading a page over and over again, switch subjects or give yourself a 15 minute break. Burnout makes studying ineffective.
Also, if you start studying earlier, you can have shorter study sessions over time. This will keep you from getting bored while reviewing.
#7 - Study with a Friend
After you feel prepared for your exams, get together with a friend or group of friends and quiz each other over material. You may be surprised what your friends found important material to focus on that you may have otherwise missed.
Just be sure to not get distracted by the friend group you opt to study with.
Good Luck Studying!
If you find that Mathnasium can be of service during finals, over the break, or heading into the new semester, give us a call at (858) 291-8186 or fill out the form above!
(858) 291-8186
(858) 291-8186
