Every year on the week before Christmas break, every student at St. Marys High School will take their semester exams for all of their classes, excluding college classes and Links. Exam week can be a very stressful time, and most students will worry about getting a good grade on them. However, with these tips and tricks, exam week can be a breeze!

Study the study guide
Most teachers will give you some form of a study guide, use it! Go through and answer the questions, until you feel confident that you know them.

Study your own way
Sometimes the study guide your teacher gives you isn’t how you prefer to learn. If this is the case, make your own study materials. Try making note cards, or a Quizlet for your exam content.

Have a group study session
Some people study better in a group. Gather some friends or fellow classmates and help each other study. Have a friend quiz you on the study guide, and make sure to do the same for them. Saying the answers out loud can help both of you to remember them better!

Separate your study material
Looking at a big packet of information and knowing you will have to remember it all can be very overwhelming, so break it down! Separate things into chapters and sections if they aren’t already, color code things and make sure to keep a list of what you don’t know or struggle to remember on it.

Make it fun
Let’s face it, studying will never be totally fun. However, you sure can make it a little more fun. Try playing study games like Kahoot, or doing the thing where you put a piece of candy on your study guide and every time you reach where it is, you get a snack!

Start studying early
If you take anything away from this article, please make it this! Start studying early, the earlier the better. If you wait, you will have to cram. Cramming may work for some people, but it’s really not a good idea. Cramming can make you have to stay up all night studying the night before, which goes against my next, and final point.

Get plenty of sleep
I’m sure students are tired of hearing this, but getting a good night’s sleep before the tests is very important! It’s actually recommended that you get a good night’s sleep for a few nights before the week of exams begins. Take this tip seriously, and go to bed early. You won’t do well on your exam if you sleep through it!