It is finals time for our high school and college boys, and our younger guys are likely to have year end testing as well. Here are a few tips from the internet and GCP that you can suggest to your sons to help them do their best on these tests.
1.Create a Personal Study Guide.
Even if the teacher provides a study guide, creating their own can help them understand the material better. Outlining the important information they need to learn/remember can be helpful, as it organizes the information in their brains as they create it and it serves as a reference guide during their studies.
2. Encourage Them to Ask Questions.
Remind them that their teachers are there to help! Encourage them to ask questions regarding the material and the exam so that they can be clear about what they know (and don’t know) and be ready for the test. Students can sometimes feel embarrassed to reveal to the teacher that they don’t know something. But remind your sons that the most successful students aren’t afraid to say they don’t understand.
3. Tell Them To Attend the Review Session(s).
Review sessions (generally held for high school students) offer vitally important information on the exam format, what will be on the exam and the key concepts on which they should be focusing their attention.
4. Make Sure They Study Beyond The Study Guide.
Study guides aren’t always comprehensive – they’re just suggestions of the main concepts to learn. Use your study guide for its intended purpose: a guide. Remind your sons to focus on topics beyond the study guide.
5. Take breaks.
Assure your sons that they won’t be able to memorize or comprehend all the material at once. Balance is key – ensure that they reward learning with break times to recharge and relax.
6. Get Enough Sleep.
There’s a lot to be said about a good night’s sleep. Make sure your sons are well-rested so that they can be fully focused during your exams.
7. Create a Study Schedule – and follow it.
Splitting the material into manageable chunks can be very beneficial. That way, you can keep track of what they’ve accomplished instead of looking at the big picture and getting overwhelmed.
8. Prioritize Study Time.
Some exams will be more difficult than others, some your sons may find easier to study for. Some may be worth more of their grade than others. Make sure that your sons evaluate all of their exams to consider and determine all of the involved factors so they can study accordingly.
9. Study For the Style of the Exam.
If it’s multiple choice, they’ll need to know definitions and concepts. For essay exams, they should focus on their understanding of all the concepts presented, with examples in mind.
10. Quiz, quiz, quiz.
If your sons think about and create actual exam questions, they will likely become more familiar with what they need to study and, at the same time familiarize themselves with the type of language that will be on the exam. They should draft potential exam questions and quiz themselves so that they can set expectations of what they need to focus on.
11. Meet with the Teacher or Professor.
Often meeting with an instructor can give your sons helpful hints for what to study and ways to prepare for the exam.
12. Reorganize notes.
Your sons should organize their notes into what’s important, outlining important concepts, formulas, dates and definitions so they’re easy to understand.
13. Pace themselves.
Make sure your sons stay focused and don’t burn themselves out. A great way for them to avoid burnout is to pace themselves rather than opting for the dreaded all-nighter. They can easily pace themselves by following tips like starting early, creating a study schedule and taking breaks when necessary
14. Teach classmates.
Learning by teaching is a method that really works! If your sons work with a study buddy and explain concepts to one another, they’re re-learning the material all over again. It’s a great way to reinforce what they’ve learned.
15. Tell Your Sons to Change Up Their Focus From Time to Time.
Switching up subjects periodically is a helpful way for your sons to learn everything for their exams while preventing burnout on one topic. Make sure that they switch it up before their eyes glaze over! That way, they can keep studying for longer periods of time while maintaining their focus.
16. Visualize.
If your son is a visual learner, it can help him to create mind maps or diagrams to visualize how the concepts they’re learning relate to one another. This is especially beneficial when learning concepts that build upon the understanding of one another, like in science courses.
17. Make it fun.
It’s easier for your sons to focus if you adapt to studying by quizzing yourself, creating acronyms or rewarding yourself for a job well done. Create a game plan – literally – that allows you to accomplish tasks and be rewarded for each.
For example, why not suggest that your son reward himself with a piece of chocolate after they’ve mastered a new chapter or allow themselves five minutes of free time for every chunk of material they digest?
Good luck to them on their exams!!!
