Homework, projects, tests, after school sports, and extra curricular activities are all expectations that we as students are expected to do. Not only do we have the pressure of our teachers, but additionally the pressure of our parents to do well in school and succeed. When we have all of these commitments, and often times, when its exam time, we have so much stress and do not know how to deal with it.
Due to these obligations, we sometimes forget to think about assignments that are due in the long term like tests. Often times, teens leave studying for exams to the last minute because we are overloaded with multiple other assignments.
I know that it may seem pointless to start studying now if your test isn’t until next week, but it’s really important to get ahead so if you have any questions, you can ask you teacher to help you along the way to help prevent cramming and stress. Even studying a little each day and mastering those topics will be a huge help in the long run and you will also feel way more prepared. I even have to get better at this but not having your flashcards or study guides done in advance can add a whole extra burden.
It is super helpful to have all of your studying materials prepared so you don’t have to spend the precious time you have to study getting ready to study the night before the test. A tip is to make flash cards as you learn the unit. You can simply spend a few minutes a day making flashcards or preparing other materials so when it is time to study you have less to worry about and you will know they’re done. This especially helpful for finals and midterms so you know you are prepared to begin studying and in the long run have less to stress about.
Also, go to your teachers if you have any questions because some times topics build on each other and you don’t want to be struggling with the whole unit especially if the information and skills build on each other.
I find talking to friends about how you feel really helpful and an important way to alleviate stress because that way you know you’re not going through it alone and you have your friends there to support you.
I know that academics are super stressful, but we often forget to think about ourselves and take care of ourselves. It’s really important to take breaks while studying and take a break in between school and homework. I really enjoy doing sports or catching up with my friends after school before I start studying or my homework.
Also, take breaks every hour while studying because studies show that it’s not healthy to sit for over an hour at a time. Some ideas for a break are to go walk your dog, play outside, have a snack, etc., but just make sure it isn’t too long so you can still get back to focusing. It’s super important to take care of yourself while managing to do well in school, because being happy will help reduce some of the stress.
And just remember, the exam will be over in just a couple of hours regardless of how you think it went.
– Annabelle, 16 years old
Really helpful thanks