In the next few days, sophomores will share how they studied for their freshman finals last year. Next is English.
Q: What was your method for studying for the English final?
Sophomore Kyra Petersen: (English teacher Jane) Bauman gives out a review guide for her final, and that is basically the key. It’s exactly like her actual final, and as long as you really understand that, then you’ll probably do just fine.
Sophomore Smita Sikaria: I read through the study guide over and over and looked at all my grammar sheets that she handed out over the semester.
Q: How did you feel going into the final? Were you feeling confident after you finished?
Petersen: I felt pretty good going into the final and coming out of it because it was a reasonable final as long as you prepared for it.
Sikaria: I wasn’t too worried because I had a good grade in the class going into it. While taking the final, I realized that the questions on the final were the ones on the study guide.
Q: What are some tips for the essay section?
Petersen: Don’t just wing it! It’ll really help you to outline your points and figure out what you’re going to say ahead of time, so that on the final you have a clear idea of what you’re going to write about, and you can just write and not waste time trying to come up with ideas on the spot.
Sikaria: Understand the books and take notes while (teacher Jane) Bauman is talking about them.
Q: How did you study the vocabulary?
Petersen: I’m pretty sure I just read the word and its definition over and over until I memorized all of them.
Sikaria: I made flashcards to learn the memorization. If you understand the vocab word, it is easy to make a sentence for the final.
Q: Did you need to talk to your teacher in private over the weeks leading up to the final?
Petersen: It definitely helps if you have any questions or concerns, or even if you don’t, to talk to teachers before finals just to be as prepared as possible, and also because it shows teachers that you’re making an effort and wanting to do well on the final. If you have questions over the weekend, you can also email teachers. I think I went in and talked to Mrs. Bauman about how to prepare for the essay.
Q: Did you have a study group or did you study by yourself?
Petersen: I studied by myself.
Sikaria: I studied by myself. Sometimes study groups are very chaotic, and no studying gets done. I find it easier to study by myself so I can focus.
Q: What would you change about your studying habits last year?
Petersen: I probably would’ve prepared more for the essay and made sure that I had outlined all of my points before hand.
Sikaria: I was very nervous before the final, but I knew that I had prepared well. I wish that I had checked my study guide with friends to make sure I had the correct answers.
Q: What are some suggestions for freshmen?
Petersen: Don’t stress about finals too much, especially the English final. It’s really reasonable and (this actually goes for all the finals) as long as you study and don’t just wing it, you’ll be fine. But especially as freshmen, just remember that finals won’t make or break your grade, and stressing about it and panicking won’t help you at all.
Sikaria: Figure out what you need to get on your final to have your desired grade of the semester. Prioritize the finals that you need to do well on.
—By Grace Naify
