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9 Tips for Kids to Ace Their End-of-Year Exams

Year-end exams are right around the corner, and many students aren’t sure where to start when it comes to studying. 

Whether students are suffering from pandemic fatigue, procrastination, or are simply lost after several months of remote learning, it’s imperative they take their final tests and year-end exams seriously and study for them. Preparing for an exam is just as important as taking the exam itself. Finishing school with a strong transcript will also give students a leg up in scholarship applications, which use academic merit as a qualification.


Brainly, the world’s largest online learning community, recently conducted a survey of its U.S. user base about their year-end exams. Consider this: Approximately 56% of students said they were anxious about their year-end exams. 

Patrick Quinn, parenting expert at Brainly who’s also a former teacher and father of three school-age kids, has some tips to help students prepare for standardized tests, combat year-end exam anxiety, and ace their next big test.

Read and Review—Early and Often. First and foremost, students should start preparing for their year-end exams as early as possible instead of waiting until the week before. We forget 70% of what we have learned within 24 hours, according to the Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve principle. Going over new ideas a day after class will help increase retention and comprehension—so make time each evening for a quick review. Break chapters into sections and review the material at the end of each before moving on. Make notes by summarizing the critical aspects of the reading so you can easily review them without having to reread entire chapters. Bookmark difficult sections to revisit later. Pro Tip: If it is written on the board, add it to your notes. It just might be on the test.
 
Set Study Goals. For each study session, set a goal to keep track of what you’re studying or revising. You can list out your goals as soon as you start with your study session or you can set them at the end of the session for the next one. Here are some examples of study goals you can set:\
I will work through at least five equations.
I will go through and summarize chapters 5 and 6. 
I will understand and learn the key concepts that were taught in class during weeks 1-3.
 

Study to Suit your Learning Style. Your learning style will help you to know what are the best ways to prepare for an examination. For instance, if you are an auditory learner, you may benefit from recording your notes and then listening to them later, or you can even listen to classroom lesson recordings. On the other hand, if you are a visual learner, pictures and diagrams can help you remember. 
 
Limit Distractions With Online Tech Tools. If you’re lacking discipline and can’t help but check your social media during lectures, there’s a great Google Chrome extension called Self Control that can add certain websites to a blacklist for a designated amount of time in which those sites will be blocked, allowing for no school work distractions. 
 
Have Fun with Words. Breaking down the material into small pieces and creating acronyms, phrases, rhymes, or metaphors can be a valuable—and fun—way to memorize concepts. For example, students learning the steps in the scientific method will easily remember an acronym like HOMER, in which each letter stands for one of the five steps: Hypothesize, Operationalize, Measure, Evaluate, and Replicate/Revise/Report. No matter how silly, this method can help students remember important concepts for their year-end exams.
 
Establish Rules of Study Time. Unless students are explicitly using online tools to study, it’s a smart idea to remove phones and laptops from the study area to prevent distractions. Every ding from a text message takes away from valuable study time. When your brain is constantly switching back and forth between social and academic spheres, students are also losing a chance to work on their focus and stamina during a test. Some other rules might include things like: 
If you are studying for a lengthier amount of time, pre-schedule breaks with set time limits. 
Snacks and drinks are okay during study time so long as they are not a distraction.
 
Focus on Understanding. For complex math problems and abstract concepts like the events that led up to a war, for example, the best way to ensure you truly know the information is to focus on understanding instead of merely memorizing. When you’re stuck on a tough problem or challenging concept while you’re at home studying by yourself, there are plenty of amazing free platforms you can utilize to get online tutoring help or step-by-step explanations on the material.  Brainly provides step-by-step guidance and explanations to all questions on its platform, helping students go from questioning to understanding and beyond. Another way to ensure you understand the exam materials ahead of time is to reinforce what you’ve learned by helping explain answers to other students’ questions in subjects you’ve already mastered, which is a core component of Brainly’s peer-to-peer learning community.
 
Review Best Practices for Test-Taking. Studying for a test is only half the battle! Taking the test and doing well is also very important, but for some, can be much harder. For this reason, test-taking is a skill that students need to learn for academic success. There are different strategies and best practices for each type of test question (multiple-choice, true or false, essay questions, fill-in-the-blank, matching, and so on). If students are unfamiliar with these, they can turn to this checklist of test-taking strategies for middle and high school students.
 
Finally, Take Care of Yourself. In the days leading up to an exam, students should remember to take care of themselves. This means getting a full eight hours of sleep every night, drinking plenty of water, getting adequate amounts of exercise, and packing everything needed for school the night before. Remember that students can think better when they have a full stomach, so don’t skip breakfast the morning of the test. Get to school early and do a ten-minute power study right before the test, so your brain is turned on and tuned up. Pro Tip: Exercise increases blood flow to the brain, which can give you more energy and better comprehension. Yoga or a stretching session can help with concentration and focus.


“Not every studying technique works for every student, so experiment with a few of these important study tips to find out which ones work best for you. Test-taking can be a real struggle for many high school students. Even after studying for hours the night before, many students will have anxiety during test time,” says Quinn. 
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Go Brie!

We attended Briahnna's middle school athletic banquet last week to recognize all students that participated in the sports programs. For each sport the coach gave out 3 plaques to the athletes they thought were most deserving for a specific area. Briahnna was given the 'Coach's Award'. Her coach was pleased with Brie's readiness to work hard, perform well and be a team player. We are so proud of Brie and she certainly deserves this great honor. What a nice way to close out her middle school volleyball career. Next stop high school!


Shelly, Mom Files
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Briahnna's 8th grade Semi-formal dance

Last Thursday evening, Briahnna attended her very first school dance~ the 8th grade Semi-formal dance. We had so much fun shopping for her outfit although it was a challenge trying to find her size. I think the colors she chose were perfect.

She had so much fun and it was a big reminder that her middle school years are coming to a close. I won't lie, I shed some tears when I dropped her off to the dance. I could not wait to pick her back up so I could hear all about it.


Next stop, high school!

Shelly, Mom Files
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First day of school

Well the first day of school is finally here and the girls were up and ready! I charged my camera battery last night because I don't care how old you are, you will get your photo taken. Don't they look so pretty? I am so excited for them and they both have amazing schedules. We are all looking forward to a fantastic school year!






Shelly, Mom Files
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I wonder what will happen

William is very fond of his family. He LOVES his family. Mom, dad, sisters and dog. He asks for everyone at all times of day if he does not see them. He walks back in my bedroom at random times if he thinks he might have heard his dad and will call out "DAAAD!" He wakes up in the morning asking for Chardeeeee... Breeee.... When we are dropping the girls off someplace he sobs and cries out their names. Well school starts back on Thursday and I am so curious to see how he does without his sisters. He really became very attached over the summer. I know he will be fine overall but I am wondering if he will go through any behavioral changes. Well William will have a fun-filled "school year" of his very own. I have big lesson plans for him and will do the best to get him on the road to academic success and also potty training. The potty training will start in a couple months since he really is not showing that he is ready quite yet. Maybe once we get into a new routine with the girls being gone most of the day with school and volleyball, we will factor it in. I am ready to home school my boy and look forward to some great adventures along the way.
Shelly, Mom Files
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Random

It's supposed to be summer break for the kids. They have summer assignments that consume a good bit of their day, everyday. It's as if school did not end. They still have practices and camps so I still drive them all over the place each week. So much for saying good-bye to the carpool line. I'm not complaining. I have not heard the "I'm bored" bit as yet. Of course I am one of those old-school moms that will put your butt to work if you feel you have nothing to do. I think my girls have caught onto that pretty well. Also I have noticed that I am spending less on food. Yes, you read that correctly LESS. I guess since the days aren't as structured as school days I am not forced to buy as much stuff to accommodate breakfast, morning snacks, lunch, afterschool snacks and game snacks. I can get used to this. So how is summertime coming along in your home?
Shelly, Mom Files
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Why Dwayne should NOT have the camera

This video was taken on Monday morning at the site where Briahnna and her classmates from her school were boarding the buses for their end of the year trip to Washington DC and Virginia. Dwayne had the camera...



Shelly, Mom Files
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Brie, artist and photographer

Briahnna went on a field study last week to Historic Charleston, South Carolina. They were required to bring a camera to take photos for a scrapbook project they were assigned. I could post all the photos but she did a great job don't you think? She already got started on her scrapbook and was lucky that we have a ton of supplies already at home. I used to scrapbook but lost complete interest once I had William. I was hoping to get my mojo back but I think it's gone for good. Brie loves anything dealing with art so I let her have at it. She is also a perfectionist and puts in the extra time to make her projects stand out. She never lets me help. My kids always impress me :)






Shelly, Mom Files
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Glad there was no technology in my days of school

I was driving home this morning after dropping the girls off to school and thought about what school is like in this time and how different it is from my days. Back in my time when report cards came out I would buy myself a good few days to a week before I showed my parents mine. I would hope that none of the other people they worked with would mention that their kids got their report cards. That would be some very stressful days for me! Now in my kids' time, we can read the big flashing sign in front of the school that tells you the exact day report cards come out. You also get an automated call from your principal reminding you about report card day. I must not forget the lovely email reminder as well. Poor kids, they couldn't get away with what some of us could back in the day!

Another great parent tool we have is Parent Portal. This would vary depending on your district but it is a website that you can sign into to check your kids grades, absences and tardies. I have even set up to get emails each time teachers update my child's record with any information. This really keeps you informed and is a great deterrent for if they even think about cutting class. Lucky for me my kids come to me about their school related stuff but you never know if something can get left out on purpose. Boy oh boy am I ever so lucky that there was no real technology in my time!! I'm sure some of you agree ;-)
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Brie's first day of 7th grade

Here are a couple shots of Briahnna all ready for her first day back to school. She is in 7th grade now and is so super excited to go back. She was sticking to me all day yesterday telling me how much she will miss me while in school even though she is glad to be there. Awww!! I love this kid!!
It's still dark when it's time to leave out in the mornings. I have to get adjusted to the early mornings all over again.
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