Study Skills
By: Emily Bottegal
The late Robin Williams said “Spring is nature’s way of saying let’s party!” Spring means flowers blooming, warmer weather, longer days, more outdoor activities, barbecues, and of course, spring break. All great things, right? Spring also means Advanced Placement (AP) Exams. Those pesky exams creep up on us and can ruin our “I just got back from spring break” high. But they don’t have to. Lauren Eckert Coaching is excited to announce that this spring break we are having drop-in office hours for students to come and get help with their AP and cumulative end of-year exam prep!
Normally when I ask students if they have started studying for the exam, they tell me their teacher hasn’t given them a study guide yet or they are going to start studying in class after break. However, for most students, that 1-week review is not enough time to learn an entire year (or semester) worth of material. Students should be regularly reviewing their material throughout the year and then begin studying more intensely 3 to 4 weeks out from their exams. Starting earlier ensures that they have plenty of time to review all the material without having to cram and stay up all night before the exam. This also helps decrease the anxiety and stress that is associated with larger tests and exams, especially for those students in public schools who do not have midterm or finals experience.
So now that I know when to start, the question is, WHERE do I start? When a football team gets on the field to play their opponent, they are not going on without a plan. They have done their research; they have looked at the players, watched videos, analyzed the opponent’s plays, and even scoped out the coach’s body languages. They have created a game plan for how they are going to play the game and beat the other team. Studying is really similar. You cannot just pick up your notes and books and expect to re-read everything and memorize it; you need to write out a plan of action as to how you are going to approach this AP exam or final. Game planning is not only “what am I going to do”, but giving yourself deadlines and assigning a time for each task. Assigning a time helps make the task seem more achievable and helps students plan for breaks.
Game planning can count as an entire day of studying, which is why, again, we encourage students to start studying weeks in advance. Once you have a plan of action it is easier to get started studying. You are not waking up each morning thinking, “hmm, what should I do today”. There is a foundation to your every day with an achievable outcome (cue serotonin!). So how do you create a game plan? I like to think of a puzzle. I know what I want the finished product to look like, so I’ll start putting together small chunks at a time, focusing first on the outside, then the blues, then the greens, etc. Studying is just that- putting together small chunks of learning each day to build the final product (feeling prepared for the exam).
I like to approach my study plan in two ways: 1) Gather all my class notes, tests/quizzes, books, handouts, and homework/classwork, to make sure I’m not missing anything. If I am missing something, I want to create a note to make sure to reach out to a classmate or teacher. 2) Start with a blank weekly schedule, a list of tools, a study guide if available, and my class syllabus (or folder/book to see what chapters we learned this year). I can then see how much time (days) I have and how many chapters or sections I am responsible for. knowing From there, just like a puzzle, I start breaking down the units across the days. Once I have my units/chapters set, I’ll start assigning the tools to help me learn the information. Maybe I’m making flashcards (or Quizlet) to help me learn the vocabulary terms, or creating a flow chart or outline to help restructure my class notes. Creating my own practice test is another tremendously helpful tool to use to relearn and absorb the material. Here is a great example of a study plan for a class test.
Like I referenced above, game planning is half the battle. Following through with studying is the second half. Set up a quiet space in the home to study, or find a place at the library or coffee shop with limited distractions. Make sure you have the supplies you need, like extra paper, pencils/pens, highlighters, a computer (and charger!), and notecards, to make sure you are prepared for a great day of learning. Use apps like Forest and Pomodoro Timer to keep you focused, giving yourself frequent breaks. Remember, you started studying early, so you are not going to be studying for hours and hours.
Encourage your child to start the game planning and studying process over their break. We tend to see students avoid and procrastinate over break because their mind thinks “no problem, I have 9 days!” The more comfortable students get in not doing work, the harder it might be to get them refocused. Using a study plan or schedule is a great way to put a few chunks of time on your calendar to get some work done.
Lauren Eckert Coaching is having drop-in hours in their office the week of April 6-10th from 1:00-4:00pm. If you or your child is interested, please visit www.laureneckert.com/exam-ap-prep to register and for more information. For students who have spring break a different week, please email us at info@laureneckert.com to schedule drop-in time