The end of the school year is near! Both parents and students know what this means–final exams are on the horizon. Regardless of your child’s grade level, teachers often assign a cumulative exam, project or essay that requires your young one to apply all of the knowledge they have learned throughout the semester at once. These assignments can be stressful and often seem like an obstacle standing between your child and a relaxing winter holiday. But finals do not have to be major stressors. Here are three tried-and-true tips for taking the stress out of exam period.
MAKE A LIST OF TEST DATES AND DUE DATES
The first step to mastering finals is knowing what tests and assignments are included. Reach out to your child’s teachers and request a list of the remaining assignments and assessments. Nowadays, many schools post this information online and include directions and grading rubrics. Students can also review the course syllabi they received at the semester’s start in order to identify the due dates and exam dates. Build a calendar with your child to countdown the deadlines.
PRIORITIZE EACH TASK
Now that your calendar is complete, it is time to figure out a plan of execution. Chat with your child about his or her academic strengths and weaknesses. Does he or she love writing, but struggle with math? Be sure to allot more time for the subjects that are more challenging for your child personally. Divide the assignments or review material into smaller, manageable pieces. Ideally, your child never spends longer than thirty minutes to an hour on the same subject in any given study session.
TAKE BREAKS
It is an unfortunate conflation to equate studying for long periods with studying effectively. Discourage your student from pouring endlessly over textbooks and notes for weeks before finals. It can be stress-inducing and unreasonably exhausting both mentally and physically. While cram sessions and procrastination are at times unavoidable, taking small, intermittent breaks can do wonders for morale and mental health.
Make sure to follow these three foolproof steps in order to guarantee that our child makes it to winter vacation stress-free. After all, finals should be an opportunity for your child to showcase their knowledge, not to feel bombarded with anxiety. Once finals are over, be sure to gather to family together and soak up a well-earned holiday. Good luck!
