Finals are coming up quickly here at Blackman High School and there are many tips and tricks to help students pass. 

Finals scores can determine credits for some classes. Therefore, finals are crucial to students’ future education. There is no need to worry because there are many ways you can prepare for these stressful times.  

Trying new ways to study can help you succeed. To elaborate, you can work with a study group or if you prefer to work alone make practice test questions. Some people find it useful to make a study playlist to help them concentrate. In addition, an important part of studying is staying in a comfortable, quiet place. The more comfortable you are, the easier it will be to study. 

I spoke with one of Blackman’s faculty members to get an adult’s advice on how students can do well on finals.  

“Do not procrastinate and sleep; go to bed before 2 a.m.,” Angela Hames, a sophomore English teacher, stated.  

Sleep is especially important because your body needs to recharge so you can be more alert and conscious throughout the testing time. 

“If I handwrite notes I am more likely to remember them,” Hames claimed.  

This is a helpful tip for students who struggle with memorization because it can help you understand them better when they are in your own words. 

Two students who usually perform well on tests gave their input on how they pass their tests. 

“I study two weeks in advance. I personally use my own methods for studying like using Quizlet,” stated Sophomore Kyle Reed. 

Reed believes that if you procrastinate and barely study then you are bound to fail. 

“Paying attention and participating in class is also a good way to keep from failing,” he said.  

If you pay more attention in class, then you can understand the information better and it will give you a chance to ask questions and collaborate with peers. Collaborating with peers is particularly important because it gives you a new perspective on things and they can help you find new ways to study and interpret the information. 

“You should study in the days before. Also do not procrastinate,” Sophomore Abraham Chavez stated. 

Everyone talked about procrastination and how it will not help you overall. It can give you a lot of anxiety before the test which can fog your mind. Try to avoid procrastinating as much as possible. 

Preparing for finals is crucial, but it is also important to catch mistakes during testing. Hames said that the most common mistake she sees students make while testing is not reading questions thoroughly. Students tend to skim over the question and not carefully interpret what it is asking. Therefore, you should read each question carefully and take your time.  

Students commonly have time management issues. Students tend to run out of time before answering all the questions to their best potential. If you do not know the answer to a question, skip it and come back to it at the end. If you start to run out of time and you absolutely can do nothing to answer questions thoroughly, stick to one answer choice. For example, if you chose “C” for one question you did not know, keep choosing “C” on other questions you will not have time to figure out.  

You can do a lot of things to stay prepared for testing. Keep in mind that you should try new study methods, do not procrastinate, and get plenty of sleep the night before any exam.