It’s the Finals Countdown

Its the Finals Countdown

     As grades begin to solidify, the workload suddenly increases during the last few weeks of the semester as kids brace themselves for the ultimate challenge. With finals starting next week, students begin to prepare themselves for the pressure that awaits . However, there are  many underclassmen who are new to the process of finals. 

     For freshmen, finals can be panicking since they’ve never taken a test of this magnitude. Others know what’s coming and are still overwhelmed due to the large percentage the exam is worth. “I’ve felt a lot of stress with finals coming up.” freshman Madelyn Virzi said. “As a freshman, it’s very nerve wracking because I don’t know how finals are and how to prepare for finals compared to other tests.”

     Senior Anthony Arnoni claims the biggest piece of advice he has is to “turn your phone off! You may not even realize how much distracted you get but this will be your biggest enemy when it comes time to sitting down and getting work done.” That text from your someone special can wait along with going through your feed on all your social media platforms! Using your cell phones during studying impairs your attention and memory. 

     Sophomore Maya Madej suggests to complete all of your study guides even if they aren’t required and to make sure to ask teachers any questions you have regarding the final. 

     But senior Kamila Obrzut said it best. “I make sure to study during the day so that I don’t stay up late before this important exam. Depending on the class, I like using flashcards and quizlet especially when I have to memorize many terms. Khan academy is also a tool that I use when I still don’t feel too confident on a topic.”

     One thing freshmen tend to worry about is how much the final exam will impact their final grade. Finals are worth 20 percent of your final grade. According to Kamila, “I show them the math so that they better understand the effect that it can have on their final grade. Showing that effect helps freshmen see how a final can make or break their grade, so it is important to take it seriously and dedicate some time to solidifying their knowledge on the material.” 

     Most importantly, don’t stress. Stress consumes your energy which becomes a challenging obstacle to overcome. Heightened stress levels could affect your ability to do your best on your finals. “Everyone is stressing, so you are not alone,” says Kamila.  But there are various ways of avoiding getting too stressed the week before and during finals. 

     Maya suggests to focus on the finals you have the next day instead of thinking about all of them in one day.  As stated by Kamila, “I like to remind myself that this isn’t new material, we have learned this all year and despite our worries we do know at least something about what will be tested on, so we shouldn’t be that stressed, we all got this!”

     The answer is give it your best. To complete that extra study guide or ask for help ahead of time is definitely beneficial to your final grade. The harder you work for something, the greater you’ll feel when you accomplish it. After all, you’re only looking forward to winter break.