With the approaching stress of finals, students have different ways of preparing. Each year, some students struggle to find the best studying methods for them. For some, that may mean taking notes and reviewing them, while for others, taking a break is the best way to prepare.

Some students think that Advanced Placement (AP) classes are more stressful because they have to worry about an AP test at the end of the year, as well as the final for that class. For Annabelle Lawrence, freshman, it’s the complete opposite. “I feel most prepared for the final in my AP government class because we have spent lots of time studying for the AP test, meaning that we get a lot of review in class,” Lawrence said. Taking challenging classes can be beneficial when it comes time to take the final for that class because those teachers typically spend lots of time reviewing the content.

For others, like Nevaeh Montoya, sophomore, the most helpful way to prepare is to give their brain a break. “I feel ready for finals because they just test what you know. If you’ve paid attention during the year then you’re already pretty prepared,” Montoya said.

She plans to spend her time doing more fun activities, like playing Minecraft.

Sometimes studying for hours on hours everyday can be worse than just studying for a few minutes everyday.

Some believe that cramming can make you stressed or even remember less than you would have if you had just started studying earlier. “Putting studying off and cramming at the last minute is the least helpful for me. Sometimes cramming works and sometimes it doesn’t so it’s really unreliable,” Lawrence said.

Lawrence prefers reviewing notes and using websites such as Quizlet or Kahoot to quiz herself.

Sometimes, doing activities such as rewriting notes can help refresh the content in your brain. Pria Roberson, sophomore, claims that this is her favorite way to review for tests. “Notes and quizzes help me study the most because I can study stuff that I get wrong, and writing things helps me memorize them,” Roberson said.

According to the Muskingum College Learning Strategies webpage, cramming content means a student will forget the information a day or two after taking the test. It also increases testing anxiety, which can cause a worse performance.

While some studying methods are proven to be more effective than others, each person has their own preference on how to study. At the end of the day it’s important to do what helps you the most.