Studying For Finals | Sophomore Year

It's Amelia Kate! I'm a high school sophomore, and this year's finals are before winter break. I have tons of studying to do, but I wanted to share the way I get ready for finals.

Study Smarter and Not Harder

Many times, students believe that if they study "hard" enough, they'll be ready. What does it mean to study "hard"? To most, it means to study until your brain feels exhausted and about to explode. Studying doesn't have to be a struggle, it can be fun!

One At A Time

When studying, make sure you don't start the night before, or even two nights before the final exams. The brain needs time to soak in each subject, so use the five-day study plan instead. Start your studying five days before your first exam and follow the plan:

Day 1	Study subject 1	two hours	total: two hours
Day 2	Study subject 2 Review subject 1	two hours 30 minutes	total: two hours, 30 minutes
Day 3	Study subject 3 Review subject 2 Review subject 1	two hours 30 minutes 15 minutes	total: two hours, 45 minutes
Day 4	Study subject 4 Review subject 3 Review subject 2 Review subject 1	two hours 30 minutes 15 minutes 10 minutes	total: two hours, 55 minutes
Day 5	Study subject 5 Review subject 4 Review subject 3 Review subject 2 Review subject 1	two hours 30 minutes 15 minutes 10 minutes 5 minutes	total: three hours

It works best if you are organized and know what you want to study ahead of time. I like to make study cards to guide my studying. I look over all my notes and review packets to keep myself on track.

Get Closer To Your Subjects

Don't just study by reading and repeating, have fun by using silly tips and tricks!

• Set up a "class" of stuffed animals and teach them about your subject
• Chew a certain flavor of gum every time you study a certain type of subject and then chew that gum when you take your final. For example, assign mint gum to math and fruit gum to english. When you study for math, chew mint gum. When you study english, chew fruit gum. When you take your math final, chew mint gum. When you take your english final, chew fruit gum.
• Read upside down!
• Color code and take new review notes
• Make your own test and then try to see if you answer it correctly the next day
• Eat your favorite snack after you get 5 flash cards right
• Listen to classical music
• Make up a song using your vocab words
• Make up stories to connect the question with the answer

Just be confident when you take your exam. Think of your finals as just showing off all the studying you've done. Good luck!

Amelia Kate