After ten years of conducting Finals Preparation workshops, we have perfected a planning process that produces wildly successful results. If you have final exams coming up and want to make sure you get the grades you need, read on.
Step 1: Start early! You want to set up your study plan and schedule about two weeks before your finals begin. You need time to get into the final exam mindset. Your life will be all about studying for a while, but it is for a finite amount of time, and the sacrifice is absolutely worth it when you achieve your goals.
Step 2: Know your grade going into the final exam. At most high schools, the final exam is worth about 20% of the overall semester grade. With just a little bit of algebra, or this handy internet final grade calculator (ignore the snarky comments that accompany the results), you will know exactly what you need to get on each of your tests.
Step 3: Set challenging, but realistic goals for each of your classes. If you have a 76% in a class, and want to pull off a B for the semester, you’ll probably need to get about a 96% on the final. Evaluate whether or not this is attainable for you: How difficult is the material? How much time and effort are you willing to put in for the final?
Step 4: Determine exactly what will be covered on each final exam and how you plan to study for each subject. If it’s 13 chapters of Honors Biology, your plan might be to rewrite your class notes, make flashcards for the vocabulary, and test yourself using the chapter questions throughout the text book. If your English exam will ask you to write a response to one of five essay prompts, you may plan to do specific outlines for each prompt, or possibly even write all five essays to make sure you know them. Whatever subject it is, write down specifically how you intend to study.
Step 5: Establish the total amount of time you estimate it will take to study for each test. For example: AP Chemistry: 12 hours AP US History: 10 hours Pre-Calculus: 8 hours English 3: 6 hours Spanish III: 4 hours We find that for their hardest classes, students need to allocate approximately ten – twelve hours of studying. While this may seem like a lot to some students, keep in mind that we are talking about a two-week period of time. You’ll see in the next step that the hours are spread out over many days and it’s really not so bad.
Step 6: Set up a study schedule to map out your hours. In our office, we make special “final exam calendars” on big sheets of poster board, with the days of the weeks across the top, and the hours of the day down the left side. We have our students use bright colored markers and highlighters, so that it is as personalized and fun to look at as possible. Since you’re starting early, you should have about fourteen days on your calendar. You first want to block off the time you cannot be studying – the time you’re in school, at swim practice, at a church function, sleeping, etc. Also, if there’s a certain time you definitely do not want to be studying, like a Friday night for example, block that time off as well. This will give you an accurate picture of how much time you have to study. Then, write down which finals you have on which days (Tuesday: Math & English, Wednesday: Spanish and Science, Thursday: History, etc). Begin adding study hours to the calendar by blocking off two hours the night before each test for review. Since you are planning ahead, you won’t have any need for all-nighters or last minute cramming sessions. Continue to add study hours to your schedule until you have accounted for all of the necessary hours for each class. Make sure to plan for meals and breaks! You might end up with a weekend in which you have six to eight hours of studying each day. This is possible, but you must let your brain rest. Know your own capacity for focus, and plan accordingly. It takes self-discipline, endurance, and determination to achieve your goals for final exams. Yet, the process can also be incredibly empowering. Testing the limits of your brain shows you its infinite possibilities. At the very least, you will be entitled to a well-earned celebration by the end
Step 1: Start early! You want to set up your study plan and schedule about two weeks before your finals begin. You need time to get into the final exam mindset. Your life will be all about studying for a while, but it is for a finite amount of time, and the sacrifice is absolutely worth it when you achieve your goals.
Step 2: Know your grade going into the final exam. At most high schools, the final exam is worth about 20% of the overall semester grade. With just a little bit of algebra, or this handy internet final grade calculator (ignore the snarky comments that accompany the results), you will know exactly what you need to get on each of your tests.
Step 3: Set challenging, but realistic goals for each of your classes. If you have a 76% in a class, and want to pull off a B for the semester, you’ll probably need to get about a 96% on the final. Evaluate whether or not this is attainable for you: How difficult is the material? How much time and effort are you willing to put in for the final?
Step 4: Determine exactly what will be covered on each final exam and how you plan to study for each subject. If it’s 13 chapters of Honors Biology, your plan might be to rewrite your class notes, make flashcards for the vocabulary, and test yourself using the chapter questions throughout the text book. If your English exam will ask you to write a response to one of five essay prompts, you may plan to do specific outlines for each prompt, or possibly even write all five essays to make sure you know them. Whatever subject it is, write down specifically how you intend to study.
Step 5: Establish the total amount of time you estimate it will take to study for each test. For example: AP Chemistry: 12 hours AP US History: 10 hours Pre-Calculus: 8 hours English 3: 6 hours Spanish III: 4 hours We find that for their hardest classes, students need to allocate approximately ten – twelve hours of studying. While this may seem like a lot to some students, keep in mind that we are talking about a two-week period of time. You’ll see in the next step that the hours are spread out over many days and it’s really not so bad.
Step 6: Set up a study schedule to map out your hours. In our office, we make special “final exam calendars” on big sheets of poster board, with the days of the weeks across the top, and the hours of the day down the left side. We have our students use bright colored markers and highlighters, so that it is as personalized and fun to look at as possible. Since you’re starting early, you should have about fourteen days on your calendar. You first want to block off the time you cannot be studying – the time you’re in school, at swim practice, at a church function, sleeping, etc. Also, if there’s a certain time you definitely do not want to be studying, like a Friday night for example, block that time off as well. This will give you an accurate picture of how much time you have to study. Then, write down which finals you have on which days (Tuesday: Math & English, Wednesday: Spanish and Science, Thursday: History, etc). Begin adding study hours to the calendar by blocking off two hours the night before each test for review. Since you are planning ahead, you won’t have any need for all-nighters or last minute cramming sessions. Continue to add study hours to your schedule until you have accounted for all of the necessary hours for each class. Make sure to plan for meals and breaks! You might end up with a weekend in which you have six to eight hours of studying each day. This is possible, but you must let your brain rest. Know your own capacity for focus, and plan accordingly. It takes self-discipline, endurance, and determination to achieve your goals for final exams. Yet, the process can also be incredibly empowering. Testing the limits of your brain shows you its infinite possibilities. At the very least, you will be entitled to a well-earned celebration by the end
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