As finals approach quickly, many students struggle to find good strategies to help them effectively study for finals. Some seasoned upperclassmen and teachers, however, have some suggestions to help.

First off, you should organize your binder. “To study for finals I empty out everything in my binder and take anything out that looks like notes” Anton Karabushin, a 12th grader, said. This tip will help you quickly and effectively find your notes for studying. 

Another helpful strategy is to annotate your notes. Ms. Vigil, an AVID and AP Government teacher says, “One study tip I suggest to students is to go back and revise and annotate any notes they may have taken. Regular repetition in studying is key because the brain is designed to forget.” If you annotate your notes and revise them, they will stay in your brain for longer, which is, of course, very beneficial for finals.

One strategy to help you from overwhelming yourself is to study in small chunks. Mr. Cole, an english teacher and tutoring teacher, advises students to “study in small chunks.” This allows students to not feel as overloaded and unfocused while going over notes. 

A fourth suggestion to help with your time management is to use a study schedule. “I normally use a study schedule, I start with my first final and move on from there,” Sydney Walsh, a 12th grader, said. “I plan it out where I spend the most of my time on my hardest finals and less time for my easier finals.” This gives you the right amount of time to master each of your classes.

Lastly, to keep yourself from feeling isolated you should study with others. Mr. Cole also says, “Study with others. Why study alone? Find people in your class who you know will help you focus and study.” Not only is this more fun, but you will be able to ask someone if you don’t understand a concept. 

Using your resources is key to successful studying, whether that’s your notes or your peers. And of course, teachers are there to help as well. There are support labs available after school everyday, where you can ask your teachers about assignments and material that’s going to be on the final. 

As finals rapidly approaches I hope these tips help. Whether you’re annotating, planning out a schedule, or taking advantage of study groups, we wish you all the best as you study and prepare for finals.