[quote]By Zainie Qureshi
Managing Editor
Graphic by Trinity Powell[/quote]

It’s finals season here at Metea Valley, and that means it’s time to get out the flashcards, the highlighters, and the playlists full of motivational speeches for that well needed boost of inspiration to aid in your crawling to the finish line of the school year. While many find this time of the year particularly stressful with multiple final exams, students have found tactics to navigate finals week.

For starters, it’s important to study in quantity; every night before an exam, study a little on a topic and gradually increase the amount covered as the days go by. “I’ve found when teaching something, the easier stuff tends to introduce into the harder stuff. And when I tried to memorize things as a student, I would lay down in bed, and I would go through everything I needed to memorize and upon finishing, I found myself thinking about all those things as I went to sleep. Then when I got up in the morning, I would go through it all and do it again,” social studies teacher Matthew Main said.

In terms of memorization, making flashcards and taking online quizzes has been a helpful tool for students. This helps with retaining what has been learned thus far, and taking the quizzes helps apply the information. Students have found that creating studying devices like songs or games out of the content being studied helps on exams, making it easier to retrieve the information. “Things like songs and mnemonic devices actually help me a lot when I’m trying to study. Even though I sound like a little kid singing songs out loud to help me remember things, it actually helps a whole lot,” sophomore Kelsie Weisenburger said.

Getting  a good night’s sleep is a must. It’s been heard before by students everywhere, whether it be from a teacher, tutor, a best friend’s mother. While cramming into the late hours of the night may seem like a good idea, sleep is always the better option. “A good night’s sleep is probably just as effective as two hours of studying at 2 a.m,” Main said. The brain won’t be able to successfully hold all the information due to lack of sleep. Getting enough sleep will help digest all the information you’ve crammed into your brain. “What helps me is just not feeling tired. Not many people get enough sleep and I certainly don’t, but exercising or eating something that wakes me up helps out alot,” junior Danny Dresser said.

Most students know what cramming before a test feels like, but it’s important to keep in mind that even “cramming” can be used as an studying  effective tool as well. “Cram one class at a time. Don’t cram for science, spanish and math all within like an hour of each other,” sophomore Ahmari Thompson said. Instead of leaving it all until one night, Main suggests splitting up the work, and going in the class order of your exams. “It’s important to know how to manage your time, know when to take breaks, and divide your work up efficiently,” Main said.

It’s also important to realize that breaks are essential. There’s no way to differentiate what’s being learned by having at it all in one go. Divide work up into sections and insert fifteen minute breaks in between. Try going somewhere else to study to change up surroundings. “There’s a large body of research showing that changing ‘context’ while you’re learning, which includes location, time of day, mood, environment, and even background music, deepens learn. It also allows you to put your restlessness to good use,” an article on kqed.org, a website dedicated to public media, said.

Speaking of background music, if one can handle studying and listening at the same time, it’s necessary and beneficial to find a type of music genre that increases focus. “Personally, classical or modern instrumental music helps me study and lock in information without being distracted, and I typically study later in the day because studies have shown that studying close to when you go to sleep helps you remember whatever you are studying,” Dresser said.

Studying before taking tests isn’t the only thing that can help prepare students for an exam. “There are some studies I’ve come across that say physical activity and getting your blood flow up and going before hand helps you out. It’s also important to intake some sort of sugar. Some sort of Jolly Rancher or sucker like that provides you with a little bit of a boost,” Main said.

Nonetheless, the most effective way to succeed on a test is to develop a good work ethic. While bad habits die hard, it’s key to look at the big picture and decide that being on top of your work during the semester is the best way to ensure success. “I think you have to recognize your shortcomings. I think you have to examine why you’ve not done what you need to do. If you realize that, then you need to work to change those things.” Main said. If students haven’t been doing what needed to be done during the semester, then studying is made harder due to the fact that it’s as if one’s learning it for the first time. Dedication and motivation can shake off those feelings of testing insecurity, giving students testing experience they can be proud of. “I think that what matters the most after you succeed on an exam is how it makes you feel. The satisfaction that I get for proving what I know and getting a darn good grade for it helps my self esteem and my motivation to continue studying for other exams,” Dresser added.