Prepare NOW to Study for Semester Finals

School has started and so should study for January’s final exams. A little effort NOW can pay off in huge benefits 12 weeks later. It’s the first rule in “STUDY SMARTER -- NOT HARDER!”

#1 SET A GOAL. Think about your previous results in similar classes. Don’t underestimate yourself (or overestimate your motivation). Set a goal for the final grade and work toward earning every point possible in all assignments, quizzes and tests. Strive toward meeting that goal on every quiz and test.

STUDY SMARTER -- NOT HARDER! One way to approach grades intellectually is to keep track of where you stand in the class at every moment. This way you’ll know how close you’re coming to meeting the goal you have set.

#2: KEEP TRACK. For many classes, you’ll have a spiral notebook. Staple a sheet to the inside front or back cover and record every score you get in the class.....homework points, quiz scores, and test results. As you finish off the first spiral, take the grading sheet along to staple on the next spiral. When the Winter Break rolls around, there will be no question about where you stand in class and how far you’ll need to go to earn the semester grade that was your original goal.

STUDY SMARTER -- NOT HARDER! Another suggestion in our plan to make studying for Finals a breeze is to KEEP EVERYTHING!!

#3: SAVE ALL CLASS WORK. I’ve mentioned before my “box” organization system. I keep everything from each class so it’s all available when the Final Exam Review Sheet is assigned, somewhere around Winter Break. My simple system uses sweater boxes (although recently I discovered a boot box that is nice and sturdy, a little bigger than the usual 8.5 X 11 sheet of paper, and fits under the bed). When I need to clean out the old book bag, I drop class notes, worksheets, returned tests, etc. into the appropriate box and slide it under the bed where it lives until the next clean-out job. When the Review Sheet comes, all my notes are easily accessed.

STUDY SMARTER -- NOT HARDER. Fourth on the list of suggestions for preparing for final exams will undoubtedly not be your favorite -- but stick with me here.

#4: CONSISTENT REVIEW. Some classes will assign homework daily, others only periodically. But your review should continue to consistently occur daily. Well, not ACTUALLY EVERY day -- that would be obsessive. But there are ways to productively invest 10 or 15 minutes 5 days a week, even when homework is not required.

Review class notes. Reread a chapter. Work unassigned math problems. Rework missed questions on old tests and quizzes.

Here’s a little dose of reality (for me). I AM the compulsive student, so recognizing that not everyone will study every course every day (or spend 4 hours on Sunday doing more Calculus problems) is a major milestone for me. Realistically, it is probably not necessary to paw through all your work every day, but it is beneficial to periodically review everything you have, maybe on a weekly basis.....or at least monthly.

OK, let’s agree to monthly as a reasonable compromise. Say you have 5 academic classes. Each week, review your boxfull of materials for one class. The next week, review a different class. Now that’s not OCD, it Studying Smarter.

Following through on this "collect and review" plan will have significant impact on lessening the amount of work you'll have to do come semester final time. A little consistent effort NOW will allow more time to enjoy Winter Break and STILL earn grades that will knock the socks off an admissions counselor when you apply to college!!

FINALS -- ACT -- SUMMER!

Counting down the days 'til summer? Me, too! But there are steps to take before we can enjoy the weather and activities that vacation promises.

To keep up your energy for finals, try a few mind-tricks:

1. Look at your current classroom grades and calculate what final exam scores you need to maintain your average. Post your goals in a conspicuous place like your bedroom door. It will be a gentle reminder when you'd rather be doing anything other than studying.

2. You may have Final Exam Study Guides for most of your classes. Plan rewards for completing the work pages -- maybe EVERY page. Even simple, silly things like stickers affixed to each finished page can be motivational. Or take a longer view and plan an outing with friends when a whole packet is completed. Ask your folks to have a special dinner as a reward for good study habits. Pick rewards that have meaning for you and which will celebrate your accomplishments.

3. On the serious side, if the classroom teacher or tutor hasn't assigned a completion rate for the Study Guide, make one yourself. I generally go through the packet once to answer the questions that I can without thinking too hard. This helps to increase my confidence and is motivating when most of the packet can be finished quickly.

The second run through is for the more complicated questions that I need to think about. The third pass is for questions I need to research a little by reviewing class notes, old homework assignments, the textbook and previous tests. These two steps are intended to refresh my knowledge and fill in any gaps from earlier in the semester.

The fourth time through is intended to maintain improvements by answering questions that I got wrong in the first place. This is the REAL study and should be completed at least 2 days before the final.

4. If you have a tutor or study partner, plan to meet after you've finished the study guide. Ask the burning questions that you haven't been able to remedy on your own. Don't be shy about asking for validation from your support system -- friends, family, tutor and YOURSELF.

5. Prepare a "quick guide" with the most vital information. Make it small, maybe bookmark size or pocket size. I've laminated several in preparation for future classes when foundational information may be helpful. Math concepts and grammar rules can be useful in college and even in preparing for the PSAT, ACT or SAT.

6. GET ADEQUATE REST! This is a stressful time for everyone. Those with test anxiety may be feeling the pinch, and those with test compulsion will never feel fully prepared. In either case, take the evening before a test to relax and dump the angst. Right before going to sleep, take out the "quick study guide" and reassure yourself that you are prepared for the next day's test.

7. Take time out after the day's tests are over. Lunch with friends or a special computer game are good, short recovery activities. If there are more tests the next day, study during the afternoon and go back to Tip #6.

8. If you find that studying for final exams is overwhelming, resolve to take this tutor's advice next semester: Begin preparing for finals on the first day of the semester! Keep following this blog for ideas to help you get off to a rousing start when school resumes in the Fall. By December, you'll be glad you did!

GOOD LUCK! MAKE ME PROUD!!

ACT MATH CHECKLIST

Oh, yeah. There's a LOT of Math to know for the ACT and it is easy to skip over some important rule or formula. Here's a checklist of the concepts mentioned in previous blogs. Use it to refresh your memory and insure that you've covered each concept sufficiently. As you take practice tests, highlight the math facts that caused errors and review those again.

BASICS
___ fractions
___ percents
___ percent change
___ word problems
___ ratios
___ average
___ area

ALGEBRA
___ factoring
___ distance formula
___ midpoint formula
___ rules of exponents
___ graphs
___ functions
___ conic equations
___ logs
___ sequence and series
___ probability
___ variation
___ systems of linear equations
___ matrices

GEOMETRY
___ special right triangles
___ SohCahToa
___ parallel lines and transversals
___ properties of quadrilaterals
___ circles
___ sum of interior angles of a polygon
___ volume
___ similar triangles
___ relation between lines, areas, and volumes

TRIGONOMETRY
___ Pythagorean Identities
___ The Unit Circle

There. That wasn't so bad, now was it? Stay tuned to this blog site for analysis of recent ACT test questions and any changes that we discover.