Final Exam Season : Tips for Student Athletes
The demands and realities of student athletes’ schedules and being the best student possible can be a challenging juggling act, especially during finals. Intentionality delivers results. Here are some of our tried-and-true tips for exam season success. The Liddane Tutoring team believes you can navigate these challenges more easily using suggestions below, with support from coaches, teammates and study support people to kick it out of the park! If you need individual support, let us know how we can help. Good luck!
Plot out a study calendar. Spend 15 minutes writing down the steps for what you need to do and when. Be as specific as possible.
Consciously map out team practices, extracurriculars, and whatever else you have going on, especially prior to tests. Add to your calendar for visual reminders.
Set meetings with teachers now. Keep a running list of questions so meetings can be as productive as possible.
Figure out your study support people. Reach out to a classmate or bring together a group of friends who will truly help you study. Create a team study group of other players who will encourage you to use your time wisely at tournaments or away games. Encourage them back.
Tutors can really help before tests. If you decide to work with one, set those appointments. Keep a running list of questions going and send it ahead of time if you can so your tutor can be best prepared for you.
Review the class syllabus to understand what will be asked on the tests. What are the big questions?
Make flash cards/study cards (Quizlet or paper–whatever works best for you).
Review and explain the content to someone else.
Take care of yourself during exam periods. As much as you are able, eat well, drink water, get enough sleep, deep breathe, and move your body.
PREPARING FOR FINAL EXAMS
“Make sure you study!” that is something that students hear right before final exams. What adults often don’t recognize is that, for some students, these words are empty. They may be brushed off with, “Yeah, I’ve got it,” or they may evoke a feeling of uncontrollable stress.
What does it mean to study for a test? Some students might think that simply looking at a list of vocabulary words or a study guide provided by their teacher is good enough. Classroom content and homework all made sense, so what else could there be?
STUDY SKILLS ARE SKILLS
Active study skills are not always explicitly taught. Instead, they are often implied in the way required assignments lead students through the steps of note-taking, graphic organizing, etc. Studying effectively means taking on more and more of these steps independently as students progress through school. For those who struggle academically, this implied practice might have been missed, and students can feel lost.
Some students, for example, may have spent so much energy trying to sit still and stay focused in class that the practical benefits of annotating text, distilling information down, or repeatedly working through complex math problems may not be obvious. They might not make the connection between specific study skills and how they feel on a test because distraction or anxiety makes it difficult to reflect.
Those labeled as “gifted” may have been able to skip specific study strategies up until the point that the curriculum became too challenging. These students now feel stuck and can be unsure about asking for help. All math through algebra II came relatively easily to them, but now that they are in precalculus, they aren’t sure how to thoroughly learn the challenging material placed before them. Where does one find practice problems? How does a person work through equations when the process isn’t clear? Is simply finishing the homework enough?
HOW A TUTOR MIGHT HELP WITH PREPARING FOR FINAL EXAMS
Working with a tutor is a great resource for having someone explain confusing content. In addition, tutors can make suggestions for and model study skills to help a student figure out what works for them, what doesn’t work, and how to make a study plan that fits their needs.Here are a few things that a tutor might do with a student:
Plot out a study calendar
Help students prioritize extracurriculars and other obligations prior to tests
Help with writing emails to set up meetings with teachers
Help students formulate questions for teachers
Organize notes
Make flash cards/study cards
Identify sections of textbooks for review
Review and explain the content
Find online resources for reinforcing information
Provide extra practice problems
Quiz students on content
Some students can use a tough experience to improve on their own, perhaps with the help of online videos (such as Crash Course Study Skills), but if figuring this out independently feels overwhelming, your student is not alone. Improving study habits can be like taking an independent study course. Unlike a study skills class or online videos, one-on-one tutors can work with an individual student’s roadblocks, help with problem-solving, and celebrate small successes. Tutors can adjust and respond when a student is feeling overwhelmed and one-size-fits-all solutions are not working.
Study skills are skills, and young people deserve specific, practical guidance when learning any new skill. For more, learn about our executive functioning skills support or schedule a free consultation to discuss how our tutors can help your student, before, during, or after finals.
STUDY SKILLS CRASH COURSE
As the first weeks of the school year give way to the first tests (and report cards), students interested in improving their study skills can find many tips and tools online. However, not all study tips are created equally; stressed-out students looking for how to speed-read or cram for a test can run into trouble. Here are several trusted resources for improving study skills recommended and utilized by our learning experts. Brush up on key skills, or chart an independent study course to improve your habits!
6 Habits of Highly Successful Students
"6 Habits of Highly Successful Students" delivers science-based, practical strategies for highly effective studying. Sometimes, we take it for granted that these techniques are absorbed alongside the nuts and bolts of each subject, but they’re not always obvious. Students of all levels can miss out on study skills: high-achievers may glide by until they hit a hard class and then find themselves missing the solid habits they need to succeed, while students who struggle in the first place may feel overwhelmed with the how-to-learn portion of class on top of everything else.
The Learning Scientists are dedicated to working on those foundational skills for all students. Their focus is strongly evidence-based and hands-on, with guides for helping parents as well as students. The overview video gives an excellent index of key skills, while the blog, downloadable materials, and more fill out lessons for many different audiences.
Crash Course: Study Skills
“Crash Course: Study Skills” provides an easy-to-follow series of explainers and useful tips on topics like memory, note-taking, and focus, produced with the humor and lively pace that makes Crash Course so popular in the classroom. These videos introduce techniques that may already be familiar to students through animations and entertaining stories, making them a solid primer for shoring up the basics without being boring. But the videos also go over the science of why each strategy works in an accessible way, making a case for sticking with it now, into college, and beyond. (shout out to Crash Course: Psychology for those learners who want to dig even deeper.)
SMART BUT SCATTERED KIDS
“Smart But Scattered Kids” by Drs. Peg Dawson and Richard Guare is an influential series of books, presentations, and workshops on executive skills coaching. We would be remiss if we didn’t include them. Homework planner templates, coaching tips for parents, and timely tips on stress management and the effects of crisis on skills in the time of COVID-19 are available for free, while the books targeted at different age groups are highly recommended for further reading.
For students not sure where to start or unsure about dedicating time to study skills on their own, our tutors and executive skills coaches can help with personalized guidance to boost confidence and understanding. For more information or to schedule a consultation, please contact us.