With the approach of Advanced Placement tests and final exams, students must start preparing ahead of time to be successful.

Organizing notes is a good place to start with the accumulation of the semester’s lessons in some sort of orderly fashion. Major topics should be outlined and research conducted. If a subject is unclear, additional review and teacher or student tutoring is an option to be explored.

Math teacher Ed Mendez said, “It is extremely important that students prepare months in advance so that when the exam comes, sleep is not lost and the situation is less stressful. Taking more time to study, highlighting important points, preparing study guides and devoting equal time to subjects is crucial.”

Senior Siman Zhang echoed Mendez, emphasizing the importance of starting ahead of time.

“I highly recommend studying early, for it has helped me significantly in the past. Reviewing over a long period of time in short intervals assists remembering, unlike procrastinating and waiting until the last minute,” said Zhang.

Cramming and putting off studying does not benefit students. The practice puts stress on the brain and body and is not productive for retaining information.

Senior Christine Nguyen said, “I say the subject matter out loud if it is English or history. For math, I review techniques and practice problems, and for Chinese I write words over and over again for memorization.”

Senior Caroline Kikkawa has her own techniques for organizing and studying information.

“I tend to make tables, highlight sections and rewrite the important points I need to focus on. Flash cards are also extremely useful tools when attempting to retain material,” said Kikkawa.

Self-discipline and staying motivated is difficult, yet beneficial. Planning when and what to study also helps students to stay on track. For effective brain activity, students must remember to take frequent breaks, eat nutritious foods and keep their bodies healthy if they wish to succeed on exam day.