December and January are months for holiday festivities, family trips and preparation for final exams and college entrance exams for high school students.
Computer graded exams are more comprehensive -more questions- than those of past generations which were hand graded. Today’s students are required to organize and memorize an enormous amount of information and recall that information on final exams which count for 20% of their final grade.
Understanding the brain and learning styles can make studying for exams more productive.
Chunking….
Our brains remember information organized in 5-7 bits. Long list are easily forgotten. Organizing information on cards with 5-7 bullet points facilitates memory.
Our brains require sensory information, so using as many senses as possible to input information facilitates learning/memory. Most people have a dominant sensory mode: visual, auditory or kinesthetic. So using study cards with color will help visual learners. Repeating information aloud helps auditory learners. Moving, while reviewing, and writing out information will help kinesthetic/physical learners. Putting this all together gives the brain what it needs to learn.
Review, review, review…..
Short periods of review over a long period of time is the best way to master material. Plan 20 – 40 minutes of review on a regular basis. Have study cards, will travel! Take them with you to review while waiting of appointments, traveling etc. Research indicated that reviewing before sleep aids memory.
Breathe….
Anxiety is normal when we have to perform. A little bit actually increases performance. However, a little bit goes a long way. Deep breathing helps to keep the brain alert and exhale worry. Positive affirmations: ” I am prepared; I will do my best.” help. A recent study found that students who wrote down worries about test performance scored higher than a control group.
Another interesting fact: SLEEP is a critical factor in performance on exams. So don’t forget to get your zzzzz’s!
Final exams are difficult. Using these techniques will help you do your best.
ACT/SAT
This is also the time to begin to prepare for college entrance exams. Juniors should begin to prepare for these after first semester finals. The best way to prepare for the ACT/SAT is to take a pretest to get a baseline. From this you will know your strengths and weaknesses. For many students time in a big issue. Drills in each section increase time performance.
It is also important to understand the test. There are test taking strategies that increase scores. The ACT and SAT are very different tests requiring different strategies.
There are over 1600 colleges in the United States. The key is to find the one that is right for you. Test scores are only one of the factors that determine acceptance.
Good luck on finals!
