Make a Plan
Students, if you haven’t already, start planning for finals
today! This is your best chance at reducing stress and being as prepared as you
can be. Start to plan out your study schedule by working backwards from all
your exam dates. Leave yourself ample time for breaks with your friends and
family, meals, sleep, and exercise. Starting early ensures that you have plenty
of time to ask for help if you discover that you need it.
Ask For Help
Unless you’re the type of student to rake in perfect scores
with little to no effort, look for help where you can get it! Take advantage of
additional study sessions your instructors or TAs may offer. Stop by office
hours at least once, even if you only have “one quick question” (or a hundred).
Try meeting with a study group at least once. Even if you have the material
down pat, there’s no better way to make sure it’s ingrained in your memory than
to teach it to another person.
Stay Healthy
Don’t skip meals, sleep, or exercise because you’re cramming
for an exam. Your brain certainly won’t thank you the day of your final.
According to the study “High impact running improves learning” in Neurology
of Learning and Memory, “regular physical exercise improves cognitive
functions.” It was determined that exercise also has immediate beneficial
effects on cognition. Vocabulary learning was 20 percent faster after intense
physical exercise as compared to low-intensity exercise or rest
Clarify the content and format of your exams.
"Find out what the test is going to cover," says
Ted Dorsey, author of Tutor Ted's Guide to the SAT. "Ask what the format
is—multiple choice, essay, or both. Once you begin studying, bring any
questions you have to your teachers. Most teachers will be happy to help
you."
Aim to begin studying at least one month in advance.
"Everyone knows that studying a little bit over a long
period of time is absolutely, undeniably the right way to study, and yet we are
all terrible at actually putting this plan into effect," says Gruenwald.
"The best time to start studying is at the beginning of the class. Set
aside a little time each week to sit down and organize your notes and think
about what's going well and what's going badly. Three to four weeks ahead of
time is the latest that you want to create a study plan for yourself. Cramming
is toxic."
Learn how you study best.
"Everyone learns differently," says Dorsey.
"Just because your friend makes color-coded outlines, it doesn't mean
that's the best way for you to study too. Change the lyrics of a song you know
to help you memorize the countries of Africa. Write a funny story about the
characters in The Scarlet Letter. Any studying is good studying, so do it the
way that works best for you."
Take snack breaks.
"When you study, your brain consumes glucose,"
says Dorsey. "Take a five-minute break every hour to let your body produce
more fuel for your studying. Take a walk, have a healthy snack (almonds, fruit,
and yogurt are good choices), and stretch. Taking breaks will actually improve
your studying."
1. Sleep
This piece of advice is listed first because it is one of
the most important and most frequently overlooked AP strategies. Our brains are
at their best when they are rested. If you sit for an AP exam while exhausted,
you will have a much harder time recalling the information you need to earn a
high score. AP tests are designed to assess knowledge and skills that you
accumulate over months of study, so frantically reviewing your notes the week
before the exam will not help you. You can study an hour or so a day to keep
yourself focused and on-topic, but avoid working late into the evening.
2. Rest your hands
AP tests are not yet computer-delivered, and this means that
you will be doing quite a bit of writing by hand. It may seem strange to think
about, but tired hands are one factor that can affect your performance.
However, there are ways to minimize the likelihood of aching fingers. On the
day of your exam, bring a stress ball or other stress relief toy that will help
your hands relax from their pencil-clutch posture. You can even bring a small
tube of moisturizer or Tiger Balm to rub into your fingers. (Note that these
items may only be used during breaks between tests – not in the exam room.)
3. Use your downtime wisely
Part of entering AP exam week rested and relaxed is feeling
mentally refreshed. If your high school has large numbers of AP students, your
teachers may have already taken test schedules into account when assigning
homework/project due dates. If this is not the case at your school, ensure you
create a work schedule well in advance of your AP exams, and aim to finish any
other academic tasks before your first test. This can minimize possible stress
and distraction.
Make time, too, for an activity that is fun and relaxing. Go
for a walk, play a favorite video game, or invite your friends over. The
specifics of what you do matter less than ensuring that you do not spend the
week before your exams tense and anxious.
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