by Rachel Neglia
It’s coming. That week in which all of the information from the first semester of school is relayed back through students’ brains is quickly approaching. The small cry of “finals!” is diminished by louder shouts of “football!” “Cantamus!” “Robotics!” “Swimming!” and of course, “homework!”
Every year, midterms seem so far off, and then, all of a sudden, there is only a week to study. Students have so many other activities going on that we seem to forget them. Then the week before the tests, most of us cram, studying as much as possible to try to retain the information for the week.
This method of studying isn’t very effective in the long term, and can result in dark under-eye circles and coffee addictions (for those who aren’t already on the speech and debate team). Mrs. Moffitt says to students: “Stay on top of your studies and homework before mid-terms or finals. Cramming isn’t learning — it’s just memorizing, which can be easy to forget. Take the time and effort to actually learn and understand the material in your classes. Answering questions on your exams will then be much easier, and you will retain your understanding for future finals and college entrance exams. Good grades from your extra study efforts, and high scores on the PSAT, SAT and ACT, can open doors for outstanding college and scholarship opportunities.”
It is good to study at least several weeks out from the tests, and even better to review what has been learned in class weekly from the beginning of the year, even if it is just reviewing notes or doing supplementary research for subjects that might be harder to understand.
“The best way to prepare for exams is to develop appropriate study habits with a daily routine to keep one prepared for class,” Mr. Hallman says. “Our Socratic approach to course work requires students to stay current with class material if they are to perform well in the community of learners. By keeping up with daily homework, one can already be well prepared for quizzes and tests without resorting to cramming.”
Ultimately, reviewing weekly will help with retention of class material (so you might be able to quote Shakespeare directly from Humane Letters, which is cool), and will bolster high test scores, helping semester grades greatly.
So the next time you think of engaging in some type of popular culture (none in particular mentioned), think about these methods that will ultimately help with better finals scores, and your reaction when you will get an A+ on the exam.