It’s Not Too Late! Here Are 10 Great Study Tips for Final Exams From a PTHS Student

Finals are arguably one of the most daunting subjects that gets murmured in the hallways at the end of the school year, and for good reason. Each final exam is worth 10% of a student’s entire grade, which not only puts a lot of pressure on the test-taker but also uncovers new emotions that first-time high schoolers might not be used to, such as test-taking anxiety, time management issues, and procrastination. As a freshman myself, I know how difficult it can be to focus on studying for finals when summer vacation is just around the corner, so I thought it would be helpful to compile a list of all of the methods I am using to successfully complete my final exams and projects while also saving some time for myself. 

• 1: Make a schedule of your final exams.

This is a crucial step in studying, since it determines the way your study schedule will look. For example, if your math final is on the last day, it might be a good idea to prioritize other classes first if you struggle with them. Since organizing your time is a big part of studying, you might even want to assign a certain number of days to study for a particular class versus others. 

• 2: Use study guides provided by teachers to identify which topics you need to study.

I found this to be especially helpful in identifying what to study for each of my classes. Since final exams are meant to be primarily on content from Marking Periods 3 and 4, you will most likely be able to grasp a general understanding of which topics you should know. However, for some courses like Science, Math, and even History, the content you learn is cumulative, meaning skills taught in Marking Period 1 are implemented into the test. If you have any questions about study guides and final exams, your teachers are more than happy to help!

• 3: If you need more time to study for a class, start early (at least two weeks in advance).

As I mentioned in Step 1, you will need more time to study for some courses than others. I personally found that taking more time to review for Biology and Geometry was helpful since there is much more content in those classes. I began studying for Biology about two weeks before the exam by making my own study guide based on my teacher’s. As mentioned by another freshman at PTHS, “I’m making sure to study for every subject a little bit every day. Whenever I have free time at school or when I am watching a show, I will study for finals.” It is important to be effective and consistent when reviewing—essentially, don’t save it all for one night! 

• 4: Go to your teachers’ Panther Periods—they are more than happy to help you!

PTHS teachers are extremely helpful when it comes to finals. They know just as well as the students how stressful finals week can be due to grading exams, packing up their belongings for the end of the school year, and preparing their students for testing. Nonetheless, all of my teachers offered extra help days at lunch or after school in the weeks leading up to finals in order to review. That being said, it’s best that you go to them with questions early on, since the Monday or Tuesday before finals are packed with printing tests, preparing study guides, answering student emails, and more. 

• 5: Reread your notes from throughout the year to get a good understanding of the content. 

I would argue that the most important step of studying for finals is the initial “re-reading” of your notes from throughout the year. No matter how messy, detailed, lengthy, or crammed they are, glancing over familiar concepts reignites parts of your memory that may have faded away on that topic. What I prefer doing is taking a quick glance over all my notes from throughout the year and then reading more thoroughly so that I remember the content rather than recall it. 

• 6: Using a study guide provided by your teacher or one you created, begin filling in topics by writing short summaries on each one. 

This step is optional, depending on the class you are studying for, but I found it to be especially helpful with Science and Math. Writing out entire summaries about everything I knew about photosynthesis definitely helped me with comprehending practice multiple-choice questions and free-response questions that my teacher provided before the exam. Sometimes getting everything down on paper, including equations, trends, and general knowledge, is extremely helpful—everyone is different, and this might be beneficial for some!

• 7: Write more in-depth notes working off of your memory and the notes you have reread. 

After talking to some friends and students from other grade levels, we all agreed that the week before finals is the most crucial in terms of remembering the specifics from your courses rather than just general concepts. Sophomore Andrea Cristea says, “Going back through notes and tests, doing practice problems, and specifically for chemistry, rereading the procedures for the labs so I can understand how to do my lab practical on test day,” is beneficial for her study regimen. She also mentioned that for Chemistry, rewriting formulas that she is required to know has helped her improve with remembering key concepts. 

• 8: Take breaks! It’s important not to overwork yourself while also remaining persistent in studying.

While staying focused and persistent is key in studying for finals, it is also important not to study too much. Overloading yourself with test-prep, study guides, and late-night study sessions is not an effective way to study for finals. That will only exhaust you and make it more difficult to focus during testing week. Instead, work in intervals by taking short breaks in between reading notes for different classes. 

• 9: Make sure that you have a good understanding of writing structures for written responses and the general content of each course, the weekend before finals. 

The weekend before finals, make sure that you are able to answer a variety of questions, both free-response and multiple choice, along with having enough knowledge on the content of the course as your teacher requires. Taking one last glance over your notes during the weekend before is also helpful, as it keeps the information from the course fresh in your mind. 

• 10: DO NOT cram the night before finals. Instead, go to sleep early and try winding down by doing something you enjoy. 

Cramming in notes, videos, and review sessions with peers is unsuccessful when studying for final exams. You cannot possibly process an entire year’s worth of content in one night. Instead, it is recommended that you do something you enjoy after school, like reading a book or hanging out with your friends, and then going to sleep early. 

Hopefully, these ten tips will help you prepare for final exams. Another anonymous freshman commented that when using a similar study pattern as the one described above, “I feel more confident for test day, and some of my nerves are able to go away.” In summary, whether you are a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior, final exam preparation can seem tedious and stressful, but if you have the right mindset to go about it, there is no reason you cannot be successful during final exams.

Sabrina Cristea