Resolve to be ready

It’s that time of year again. The holidays are over, and for high school students, exams loom just ahead. For a lot of students, that means starting to think about studying – in an ideal world, regular review would have been happening all along but we know that the ideal and the actual are not always the same! So, parents are encouraged to help their children start now – waiting until the last minute is not an effective approach and generally leads to more stress for everyone. The experts at Sylvan Learning have some tips on maximizing benefits of study time, minimizing stress and optimizing exam results!

1. Make a study schedule right away.

Scheduling time to prepare for exams is vital to success. Cramming at the last minute creates anxiety and fatigue. Aim for a minimum of an hour of exam prep per evening during the week, and a couple of hours a day on weekends. It will pay off!

2. Study with a pencil, pen or highlighter in hand, even for math.

Summarize and condense notes, make up index cards with important points, draw concept maps or outlines of textbook chapters. Simply reading is not usually the most efficient way to study. Keep in mind that different students will learn in different ways – just because index cards and a highlighter worked for one of your children doesn’t mean it will work for another. Maybe that second student will be better served by recording herself on her smart phone and listening to the recording a few times later.

3. For math, do the practice problems.

Lots and lots of problems. This is the only way to internalize math skills, and even for theoretical topics such as geometry proofs, it’s the application that matters.

4. Know your multiplication facts.

They should be automatic. Many high school students are unaware of how much time being rusty on those facts costs them on exams. Worse, stopping to figure out a multiplication fact in the middle of a complicated math problem is a huge distraction! By the time the student has taken a minute to recall that eight times twelve is ninety-six, or even a few seconds to punch in the numbers on a calculator, they’ve lost their train of thought and often have to go back to the beginning of the problem. As tedious as it may seem, fact fluency is one of the easiest ways to improve math scores.

5. If there are topics in a course that you don’t understand, seek help right away.

It isn’t too late for a little one-on-one help to clear up confusion. Ideally, students should have addressed these issues when the material was being introduced in class, but that doesn’t always happen. Remember that week you were out with the flu? Make sure you’ve caught up on that missed material as best you can. And if you need outside help, get it now.

6. Studying with a friend or a small group can be very effective if it’s done correctly.

Quiz each other, exchange note cards or take turns teaching each other specific concepts. There’s no better way to learn a concept than to teach it to someone else because you quickly discover what you don’t know.

7. Manage test anxiety. Many students get nervous when writing tests or exams.

The key to easing anxiety is being super-prepared, but even then, nerves can hit. Practice techniques for managing anxiety, such as visualization, breath control, and meditation. It also helps to discuss your anxiety with parents and/or a school counselor. Are you putting too much pressure on yourself? Has a course gone badly, and you just don’t think you can pull it together in time for the exam? In high school, it’s easy to feel that your whole future depends on passing a course, but honestly, it doesn’t. Courses can be retaken, supplemental exams can be written, other options are available. Do what you can to improve the situation, learn from the results, and resolve that next term, you will deal with problems immediately when they come up.

8. If you have a history of disappointing performance on tests and exams, it may be time to find out why.

Are you struggling with math because you have skill gaps that haven’t been addressed? Do you find it difficult to manage your time? Do you need to improve your reading skills so you can get through school work more quickly and have time to enjoy life? A passing grade in English does not always mean that reading and writing skills are where they need to be. Difficulty with word problems in math is often a clue that a student has a reading comprehension issue. A Sylvan diagnostic assessment can be a great way to get to the root of the problem and eliminate the exam blues for good!

Sylvan Learning says that their phone is quite busy the week or so before exams and that is not when they want to hear it! At that point, it is often too late to make a difference if the gaps have been growing all semester. A band-aid may be possible to help with the issue but if the gap has been growing for several months, it can’t be closed in a week. Don’t wait. Talk to teachers now to ensure that you understand what preparation is needed and get help if you need it, as soon as possible.

Sylvan Learning in Halifax, Dartmouth and Bedford offers help for all academic areas, and for all grade levels. Call 902-422-READ for more information or email [email protected].

Give your children an edge by being informed about how you can help them be successful learners. Tips for parents about current issues in education – that’s what you’ll find here on the Edge. Whether it’s about homework, report cards or summer learning, we’ll have practical tips for you. And if you have suggested topics, we’re listening.