Is Your Teen Exam-Ready?

Get Ready for Finals in 5 Easy Steps:

1. Begin Now. Whether the last day of school is months or weeks away, it’s never too late or too soon to get on the exam track. Starting right now, students should write down exam dates and the dates of any scheduled study groups. It is important that students schedule in study time, so that they know what is coming, when it is coming, and how long they have to prepare for it.

2. Just Do It. Ask any procrastinator and they’ll tell you that the hardest part of studying is the getting started. Since study skills are rarely taught in school, it makes sense that students don’t know where or how to begin. If you don’t know where to start, review the material you found most interesting or easy. From there, go onto the concepts that you found more challenging.

3. Grab a Pen and Paper. Grab a textbook and any necessary school notebooks or binders and open them up to the first unit that will be covered on the exam. Working section by section, make notes of all headings and key words—these are major clues that indicate what concepts may appear on the exam.

4. Discover Time Management. Use a school agenda or a wall calendar. Consider how much time is needed to study and how much time is available. How many hours a week is enough? What days are available to study? Block out study times and stick to the schedule.

5. A little at a time. You’ve heard before that cramming doesn’t work, and how could it? Trying to review an entire semester’s worth of information in one sitting is usually an exercise in stress and frustration. Time usually runs out before all of the material can be covered. That’s why it’s important to consult your agenda, begin early and do a little at a time—not more than a half hour to an hour, depending on number of subjects. Breaking it down into manageable chunks helps students conquer exam stress.