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Tips for Final Exams (May 2004)
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Helping Teens with Final Exan Preparations
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- Mentor, don’t interrogate. Instead of saying, “Have you started studying for your final exams?” Or, “I’m not seeing much in the way of studying going on….” (the subtle approach!) ask how you can help. Acknowledge the challenge of finals review and let your child know that you are available for help in prioritizing, organizing materials with their direction and assisting in setting up a schedule. You can also offer to help with review of notes. Let your child take the lead.
- Postpone trips or family events where your child is expected to attend during the two weeks prior to exams and the week of exams. End of term projects can be as time consuming as exam preparation!
Every hour after school does not need to be “productive” or filled up with activity
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- Understand that students need down time. This can be talking on the phone briefly to friends, listening to music or walking the dog. Every hour after school does not need to be “productive” or filled up with activity.
- Encourage physical activities which help with stress management and release energy. Time consuming extracurricular activities should be minimized.
- Eating Right. Ensure (as much as possible) that your child is eating regularly and in a sufficient number of calories. Have him/her plan what goes into the lunch bag. Send bottled water to school with students. Hydration and adequate blood sugar levels are essential for optimum school performance and ability to properly attend to test review.
- Plan out the Month. A whiteboard with a blank monthly calendar embossed on it can be very helpful in planning out a finals review for each class. Students can create a “to do” list and post it for constant reference.
- Prepare Agendas for Tutors. If your child is receiving content tutoring for classes like math and language, have him prepare an agenda of concerns prior to going into review sessions, so that the tutoring hour is efficiently managed and productive. Tutors should be enlisted to assist with breaking down content for optimum review and devising a study plan.
Note patterns of difficulty and to identify topics to review
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- Touch base with the teacher. If your child has been having difficulties in a particular class they should meet with the teacher to ensure that they know what will be covered on the final, in what format and to receive assistance on challenging topics/problems. If the teacher has a policy of not returning tests, your child should make arrangements to meet with the teacher to go over the past semesters tests in order to note patterns of difficulty and to identify topics to review.
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