Finals are approaching fast and there are some important things worth knowing to get ready.

Finals begins on the week of Dec. 16 and continue through Dec. 19. During this four-day week, each day consists of two class periods beginning with alpha and A then finishing off the week with F and G. Each class period exam lasts an hour and 30 minutes and student passing periods are 10 minutes. Instead of school beginning at its regular time of 7:50 a.m, testing for all students except those on extended time will begin at 8:30 and students will be released from school at noon each day.

With the knowledge of how finals week will work there are other strategies to know, such as how early to start studying for the exams. Senior and peer mentor Olivia Schneider said, “Realistically start two weeks before because little by little learning is a lot easier than cram studying, and if you cram study you’re not going to remember all the information that you need to.” 

By studying two weeks before your exams avoid cramming and you do divide the amount of time you study for each exam. Schneider said, “It depends on how difficult you find the class because some classes may be easier for you and you only need two hours. Some may be harder and you have to focus all your time on the class. So I think average wise would be four to five hours.”

Studying for hours can get tiring and people tend to get a bit unfocused as they study. Schneider said, “I know it is super easy to get distracted by your phone buzzing, wanting to do something else other than like sitting in your room and studying, but you need to stay focused. That’s a key to studying.’’

Schneider said, “If you’re studying in a way that isn’t the most beneficial to you, it’ll take you longer to retain the information.” There are different types of learning styles such as auditory, kinesthetic and visual, so it’s important to know your style to help you do better.

Schneider said, “I would just say again finals are important, but don’t stress too much about them. Your wellness is more important than the final grade you get on the final exam for the semester. Just make sure you’re taking care of yourself while also studying and getting ready for the finals.”