May/June Issue

Studying tips for finals

By Chelsea Guan

There’s less than a week left before the end of the 2022-2023 school year at MASH comes to a close. Summer is very nearly within reach, which is sure to be one of the biggest things students and staff are looking forward to. However, amidst the buzzing excitement of a long-deserved break and the end of the school year burnouts, many students, if not all, in one way or another will have to first get final exams over with, whether it’s a project or a classic written final exam. 

Leading up to this, many students may take out some of their time before then to hopefully prepare themselves for finals. Studying for many students can look slightly different from one person to another, however, they all involve reviewing material from that class, such as going through notes and past assignments again or rereading papers that were handed out. Additionally, one MASH teacher once said, “It’s better to review and study material 5-10 minutes every day in preparation for the test than to wait until the night before and try to cram and memorize everything.” It’s important to be consistent when studying, as the purpose should be to better understand the content and though it may involve memorizing, it should not be built solely upon that for chances are that after taking the exam, many students will likely forget most of what they memorized, if they only did it the night before because of procrastination and/or other factors. 

Studies have shown that shorter, more in-depth study sessions are more beneficial than longer ones, emphasizing the point that the studying should not just be done and over with in one night’s time. It’s also prevalent that staying up late cramming information the night before will cause one to lose hours that should’ve been spent sleeping. Getting enough sleep before an exam is especially important as it allows for better concentration and longer attention spans, both being important when testing. Regardless, below are some more studying tips that may help you achieve your success: 

• Manage your time well. It’s important and may be helpful writing down somewhere your studying plans. Ask yourself… What do I need to review? What don’t I understand? When will it be best for me to study? Find out what and how much you want to review, as well as the best time of day in which you are free to do so. You can never go wrong with a simple to-do list. 

• Be clear of any distractions. When studying, people often get distracted by many factors, the biggest one being their phone. Clear your desk of any distractions, put your phone face down on silent, and preferably get all the materials you need so that you can stay focused for just a few minutes to review and get work done. 

• Find out what works best for you. Adding on to the points above, studying once again, looks different for everyone. Some might find that music works best for them and helps them concentrate more, while others prefer to work in silence. This is just merely one example. 

• Study with others! Form study groups and set up times to meet to work together with friends. Though the downside may be getting more off task, studying with friends makes things more fun and enjoyable, as well as allows for others to motivate you and vice versa. Don’t forget the snacks… 

All in all, here are some tips that may help you when studying. Remember, it never hurts to give it a try and be prepared for something, much like the idea of ‘better safe than sorry.’ Lastly, best of luck to everyone taking finals! It’s the final stretch now… We’re almost there!

MASH students put their knowledge to the test

By Kelsea Harshbarger

When May comes around, students know that the end of the school year is near, but with this comes exams. This May, MASH students took various exams, including AP Exams and Keystone Exams.

AP Exams are cumulative exams that are based on the content taught in a variety of AP classes that are offered at MASH. These classes include AP Biology, AP Environmental Science, AP Statistics, AP Human Geography, and much more. Students who take AP courses have the option to take the AP Exam for the course that they took. Students receive a score out of five for each exam that they take, and if students achieve a certain score on the exam, they are able to receive college credit. 

This year, students took AP courses in both the fall and spring semesters, but the exams were only given in May. There are advantages and disadvantages to taking an AP class in each semester. For example, while students who took the class in the spring were able to learn the material leading up to the exam, students who took the class in the fall were able to learn for an entire semester before taking the exam. Spring semester students, on the other hand, do not get to learn for a whole semester since the exams are given before the spring semester is over.

Before taking the AP Exams, students studied hard. Sr. Lauren Paul took the AP Psychology exam in May, and she shares that “[her] biggest piece of advice for taking the AP Exams is to make good study materials as you go through the course for when you’re taking the unit tests, so that way when it comes time to prepare for the AP Exam at the end of the course, you have all of your past study materials…to use.” Sr. Anna Sheely also explains that it is important “to put time in outside of class to help you remember information for the test” rather than solely relying on any review activities done in class.

In addition to AP exams, many MASH students also took Keystone Exams in May. Keystone Exams are state-wide exams that test the subjects of literature, algebra, and biology. Depending on when students took the respective courses, they either took the exams in the fall or in the spring.

So. Paige Harshbarger took both the literature and biology Keystone Exams this year, and she believes that one of the simplest things that students can do to help prepare for the exams is “pay attention in class.” Actively engaging in class and learning the material are half the battle when preparing for the Keystone Exams, so when students make an effort to pay attention and truly learn, they are already setting themselves up for success on the exams. Harshbarger also thinks that it is important to continuously “review the material that your teacher has given you instead of cramming and looking over all of it the day before the test.”

Overall, MASH students have successfully made it through multiple weeks of testing. With the AP and Keystone Exams in the rearview, students can continue to look forward to finishing the 2022-2023 school year strong.

What classes should I take next year?

By Eliana Inch

Choosing classes for high school can be very intimidating, especially as a freshman. There are so many factors you need to consider: How is this going to help me in the future? Am I going to enjoy the class? How much work does it give? Do I have time to fit everything in? I have accumulated many recommendations from upperclassmen who have gone through this several times already. They have taken classes they personally didn’t enjoy, and are sharing the ones they absolutely loved.   

When I asked Jr. Courtney Foose, here at Mechanicsburg about her favorite class and teacher at MASH she said Advance Geoscience. “My favorite teacher has been Mr. Einsig and I really enjoyed his Advanced Geoscience class. It has been my favorite class all of high school and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in science, especially earth and space science. It was a fun and interactive class with hands-on labs. We even had a few field trips that were lively and aided in understanding what we were learning. Advance Geoscience is a “hybrid” class meaning you are only in class every other day and on odd days there is online work. The workload was manageable and very interesting. I feel it is a good option for anyone looking for another science class that isn’t AP but a higher level of learning.”  I believe this class would be a great way to experience a new type of learning with a hybrid schedule on top of all the amazing things she had mentioned. 

I asked Jr. Andrew Stauffer about his class experiences. He said, “Food Foundation is a relaxed class that offers a view into a new job field I hadn’t previously considered. The class itself will allow you to build a foundation to get into higher level food classes. The teachers in the FCS department are also amazing and continually show how much they care about the students.” If you do choose to take a class in the FCS department, Food Foundation is a great way to introduce yourself to the possible options. Students also seem to love the relaxed atmosphere.

Jr. Ethan Inch, my brother, agrees with Andrew and added on, “I don’t have one specific class to recommend, but I have learned to pick at least one class a year that just seems like fun or interesting to you. Often, students will choose classes that will look good on a resume or help them later in a choice job field, which is very important. But you need to select classes that are enjoyable and will give you a break from the most stressful parts of the day. I believe wood shops, welding classes, or world foods are great options.” 

These students have chosen their class schedule 4 times and gone through 3 years of high school already, so they have each taken at least 15 classes and these have been their favorites. Even if you choose not to take any of these classes, I would suggest talking to some other upperclassmen to get an idea of class options. There is so much offered here at the high school and the students who have already gone through the stress of picking will have some of the best advice.