End of the School Year: A Marathon More Than a Sprint

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Education

March 22, 2018

Studying for the end of the school year shouldn’t be limited to a two-week sprint in June; instead, it should be a loooong marathon that goes on over a few months. Here are some tips on how to get ready for your final exams, one step at a time.

1. Understand how your brain works

There’s a limit to the amount of information your brain can process and learn over a given period of time: that’s why “cramming” the night before an exam is rarely productive. The real recipe for success is to study a little bit every day, a few notions at a time.

2. Write down all important dates

Take note of when your exams are and when projects are due as soon as your teachers announce these dates. Add to this your extracurricular activities, work shifts and appointments, and you’ll be able to determine when’s the best time for you to study… then, it’s all about actually sticking to your schedule!

3. Make the most of your free time

If you spent too much time procrastinating this year, you might have to pick up the pace a little—but that doesn’t mean you should spend all your free time with your nose in your books! Here are some ideas to maximize your study time:

Work at the library during lunch time one, two or three times a week
Take advantage of the time you spend on the bus to study
Review your notes while you’re on the treadmill

4. List everything you need to study

This might sound absurd, but this step is the key to not forgetting any of the important concepts you need to master. Write down everything you need to know for each of your classes: French, English, math, sciences, biology, etc. Then, check these notions off your list as you come to master them: it’s a great motivation!

5. Use different studying methods

To avoid getting bored, try to vary your studying strategies. For example, you can:

rewrite and reorganize your notes to make sure they are complete,
study with your friends and quiz each other,
write down some questions and answers and have your parent or your friend become the host of their very own game show,
create some flash cards,
do (and re-do) your exercises until they become easy,
ask your teacher for extra work if you need more practice,
play educational games online (your teachers should have some good suggestions for you), and
attend remedial classes.

Need some extra help? A tutor could help you better manage your time, teach you some useful studying strategies and explain those concepts you might be struggling with.

Working hard is the key to success, but working too much will only result in you being more tired and stressed. Avoid this by allowing yourself some breaks: go to the skate park for a stroll, do some yoga, watch a movie… do whatever will help release the tension you might be feeling. It’s all about balance!