As the seasons change and winter takes hold of the world, amid daydreams of winter wonderlands, Christmas festivities, and drinking hot cocoa by a fire, one word lurks in the back of every high school student’s mind. Finals. They are the last dreaded hurdle before two weeks of blissful freedom. This year the bar is set especially high. Without exemptions available as an option, each student has to take every final, a particularly daunting task for those who have become accustomed to taking only three or four finals each semester. Nevertheless, there is no need to become overwhelmed. The best way to approach finals is by beginning early and working from hardest to easiest, keeping in mind the teachers’ policies and one’s own skill set in a particular subject.

Firstly, one should think on the easiest method to retain knowledge. If you’ve ever had Ms. Arnold for a math class then you probably already know whether you are an auditory, kinetic, or visual learner. If you haven’t, the distinction is fairly simple. Auditory learners learn by listening and talking things out. Kinetic learners have to be active to remember information. Visual learners have to read and see the information to retain it.

Once you know what will be hardest for you to remember, it is just a matter of making a study plan. It doesn’t have to be anything elaborate. Simply making notecards for biology or studying calculus equations for a little while can suffice, or you can go all out and make full study guides and complex practice quizzes. Each subject has a different way to study that is productive. In math, practice is the key to success along with memorizing equations, proofs, or graphs depending on the math class. Foreign languages are all about vocab, verb tenses, and grammar. Those classes are where notecards come in especially handy, and for the overachiever, making tests to test oneself beforehand can be particularly helpful. History classes are more dependent on the student’s skill set. Maybe remembering famous people is easy but the order of events is difficult or vice versa. Either way the best method in that case is to study what is difficult for oneself. Science classes are very diverse. Some, like biology, are more vocabulary based while chemistry and physics are more math and equation based. English classes are actually rather difficult to prepare for. One can go over the novels that were read and the grammar that was learned and possibly ask the teacher for more detailed help, but preparation is not simple for English.

Personally notecards are my best friend at finals time. Need to memorize vocabulary? Notecards. Can’t remember a timeline for history? Make it with notecards. Math equations causing trouble? Notecards can help. That is just one method of studying though. There are dozens of online study guides, not to mention YouTube videos. Some teachers give out study guides or tell the class what is pertinent to study. Other teachers allow a notecard or a sheet of paper for in-class notes.

Keep in mind though that while this might seem like a highly stressful time, it is important to remember three things. Take a break every once in a while, it’ll still be there when you get back. It is okay to ask for help.  Teachers will always make time for you if you need it. Not to mention tutors, the internet, and friends who are all more than happy to help. Lastly, it is just high school. Whether it’s your freshman year or your senior year, life will go on no matter what happens. Yes, it would be more beneficial to pass with all A’s and B’s, but a bad grade will not ruin your life, so spend your time wisely and get ready for finals in the best way you can.