The end of the semester is near, and finals are creeping around the corner. Finals can be one of the most stressful things a teen has to undergo. You can either make studying easy or hard for yourself. I am going to be going over a few life hacks for studying that I find quite useful.

The first thing you want to do is go on Infinite Campus and see what your grades are for each class. Write down the percentage grade you have for each class. The grades that are on the border such as C’s and D’s are quite risky when going into finals. You need to be spending more time on studying for these classes because you need a high grade on the final to keep your grade where you want it.

Whichever class is close to being a lower grade, study for harder. Spend more time on it and make sure you know the material. Now, you may get a final that is a project rather than a test. In this case, read the rubric. The rubric is very important, and if you are able to hit all the key points the teacher is asking for, you’ll be golden.

When it comes to actually studying, you're going to want a clear work space. I love working with no distractions whatsoever. Keep your phone in another room, and maybe light a little candle. I like to have some soft music going. Music with no words in it such as symphony, or LoFi. Student Madison Will (Grade 11) exclaimed, “Finals are quite stressful, but luckily I am already prepared. I like to light a Pumpkin Spice Everything Nice candle and turn on some quiet classical music.” These easy things will keep you focused for longer than you imagined and you will end up doing a lot better on the test.

Although, you want to make sure you aren't over-studying. Believe it or not, this can lead to you forgetting things. Try studying in chunks of 20-30 minutes and taking five minute breaks in between. If you find yourself studying for more than an hour, go take a break. Get outside and eat some food. Student Matt Combs (Grade 9) said. “I like to turn on smooth jazz and chomp down on some trail mix while I study.” It is good for the brain to take a break and will keep you from getting stressed out.

Before entering finals week, know what grade you need for each class to succeed. If you need a high grade, study harder. Pretty self explanatory if you ask me. There is an awesome website called Rogerhub. It tells you what grade you will need to recieve on the final in order to finish the semester with the grade you want.

( https://rogerhub.com/final-grade-calculator/ ) I use Rogerhub every year and it has yet to fail me.

Finals can be really stressful for everyone. I hope these tips help you out a little bit so you can go into your finals with confidence and composure. I wish you all the best luck, and a great winter break!