The week of January 16th marks the start of exam week for students. There is no school Monday for students, followed by three days of exams, and then no school on Friday for students as well. Teachers and staff are required to attend school that Monday and Friday. In preparation for finals week, many students are seeking out helpful tips and tricks.

The teacher Ryan Andrews states, “Students should come up with a plan when and where they will study to set themselves up for success.”

Saint Louis University, SLU, gives strategies to help students perform well on their final which include: prioritization, scheduling, re-write notes, self-testing, teaching a peer, disregarding distractions, and staying healthy. 

“I like to review youtube videos that go over my courses before the exams.” Senior Daniel Payne suggests. 

SLU notes how students will often have preferred classes that they may like better or feel more comfortable working in. These classes can be pushed to the forefront of their minds whilst classes they don’t enjoy are put on the back burner which can be “counterproductive.” SLU states, “Make a list of all the work you have left and then rate your current comfort level with the material for each class.” Which will help students to study better for classes they don’t feel as comfortable with.

SLU also states that staying healthy is crucial to doing well during exams, “your brain won’t function properly if you’re not sleeping or eating well.” They suggest exploring the outdoors; the environment can help relieve stress and give your brain time to recharge. 

Senior Olivia Schmidt says, “Honestly, I don’t really plan on studying much, I usually do well without.”

Music can also be beneficial to studying, according to Point Loma Nazarene University. Citing a study shown in Learning and Individual Differences, music, specifically classical music, played in the background of lectures affected scores positively. PLNU suggests creating a specific playlist to listen to while studying for exams. 

“Try to study the material multiple times in short study sessions rather than studying for hours one time.” Said Andrews.