High school students feel the pressure upon their shoulders as final exam days creep up and the majority of students tend to not take the proper time it takes to prepare for their semester tests. In order to be successful during semester exams, focus needs to be on studying the weekend or week prior to the tests, clearing space of distractions, and maintaining self-care. 

Studying for exams automatically puts students at an advantage when semester exams come. Students go in as confident as they can and know that at the end of the day, they tried their absolute hardest to make the perfect grade. Prior to finals week, teachers hand out their semester reviews in hopes that students look at it and try to pull the information that they learned in class and apply it to the test. In order for that to happen, a good studying method needs to be put in place.

The Pomodoro studying method includes setting a timer for 25 minutes and taking five minute breaks in between. After four five minute breaks, people reward themselves with a 30 minute break. This means writing down any distractions that pop up and come back to them during a break or after a study session. This method proves effective, but not the only one. It comes down to finding the right one that suits students best, whether researching one or creating one to fit their needs. 

While studying, students tend to become distracted with all their technology around them and that becomes their motivation stopper. Some people recommend putting phones away in another room, turning them off or putting the phone on do not disturb. If using a laptop, people recommend downloading everything needed and turning off the wifi in order to maintain attention to the subject students study. Distractions tend to pull people away and lead students to “wing” their tests and not do their absolute best. 

Maintaining self-care throughout finals week remains the most important priority in a student’s life. Arriving to a test without taking the proper care for yourself causes more disadvantages than if a student came in well rested and had a good meal to eat. Even during study sessions, reserving at least an hour of working on something you feel passionate about helps relieve stress and put you in a better mindset for finals week.

In order to succeed during finals, self-care, studying, and no distractions remain key points for success. Finals week puts pressure on the majority of students and achieving proper studying and self-care most likely leads to great grades on final exams.