BSM students are a great source of advice when it comes to study methods that potentially make an impact on final grades. BSM has newbie freshmen that are learning study habits for their exams, juniors and sophomores who have some test-taking experience under their belts and even some old pro’s like our seniors who know all the in’s and out’s of superb study habits. Whether you are a freshman new to high school testing, a senior with college on the horizon, you can benefit from these vital testing tips from BSM students and teachers.

Junior Maria Satre has maintained a high grade point average while being enrolled in numerous honors and AP classes. She prefers to put in the work throughout the semester rather than right before the test. “I usually don’t study very hard for my finals, except for classes like Spanish or Math, which are my harder classes. I am a huge procrastinator and usually hit it super hard the weekend before finals begin,” Satre said.

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To keep up with her schoolwork, Satre makes the most of her study sessions by pen and paper. “I think the best way for me to retain information is to complete the study guides, even if I don’t use them; I know writing everything down will help me remember more information. If you’re a first-time final taker, the best advice I can give you is to not stress a ton about finals. Most teachers make them so they don’t drastically affect your grades,” Satre said.

There’s no doubt that juniors know a thing or two about test taking by now, but some seniors approaching their last round of finals have studying down to a science. Lauren Gustafson is a dedicated BSM senior, who understands the value of being prepared on test day. Gustafson pays attention and boosts her grades throughout the semester, so she can take a laid back approach when it comes to studying for finals. “This year I have to make sure I am prepared for my physics and government classes. For my mildly hard classes, I usually complete the review packet and call that good,” Gustafson said.

Gustafson stresses the value of prioritizing challenging classes and remembering that the final really is only one test. “The best advice I can give you is not to stress too much when finals are approaching, they’re not as big of a deal as they appear to be. If a grade is borderline, I’d suggest studying for that class’ final a certain amount of time every day and studying very hard the night before the final,” Gustafson said.

Honors students like Gustafson and Satre have a lot of advice and experience in final review tactics, but BSM teachers have all of the control when it comes to final exams. Mr. Sam Fulco, BSM alum and current math teacher, certainly knows what it takes to ace math final exams. “The best way to study for math finals is to start studying as early as possible, I’d recommend studying as early as two weeks before,” Fulco said.

Fulco can’t stress how important study habits are when it comes to math finals. “For all BSM students, the best method of preparation is to get help from a teacher on difficult units and work on the review guide a few minutes every day,” Fulco said.

Though a teacher has numerous pointers when it comes to studying, a newer perspective is also noteworthy. Freshman Molly Segner is a hardworking and dedicated student that strives to be time efficient when it comes to studying and finishing homework. “I plan to study for my finals by highlighting all my notes, using note cards and making personal study guides,” Segner said.

The seemingly inexperienced freshman may not have taken final exams in her time at BSM, but Segner has some wisdom about study habits. “I think the best way to go about studying is not to study until the last minute; studying in advance is always a good idea,” Segner said.

All students retain classroom material differently, so make sure to take the approach towards finals that suits your learning style. The best advice you will hear about finals is to put your head down and work, trust what you know, and don’t let stress affect your studying. Final exams may be the source of elevated stress towards the end of a semester, but equipped students taking the accountable approach to finals week will break through the surface of anxiety.