This can be one of the most stressful parts of high school.
Pair that with studying for SAT and you have one anxiety-inducing time in a young person’s life. And one way to keep stress levels low and grade levels high is to plan.
This means knowing when finals are going to take place and what they can actually mean for your future.
In this article, we explain what finals are in high school, when they take place, and why they are important for your academic career. Never get caught off guard with finals week with this article!
What Are Finals In High School?
From the moment you begin your high school career, you will be notified of the impending finals.
Finals are a final examination of what you have learned throughout the year. You will have a final for every class.
This can seem overwhelming but you have plenty of time to prepare.
Throughout the year you will have coursework that can signify a certain percentage of your grade. However, the final exam will more than likely be a large percentage of your grade.
Therefore, it is important to study for the final and ensure you pass.
When Do Finals Take Place?
Finals week refers to the week after the semester’s end when students take their last exams for each course.
At the conclusion of the Fall and Winter semesters, in mid-December and mid-April respectively, is when finals week often occurs.
Finals week is when you can show off everything you learned throughout the semester and really begin to show your school what you aim to achieve in your academic career.
What Do Finals Mean?
While it may seem daunting, it is important to remember that you have plenty of time to prepare.
Finals are simply a chance to show your lecturers that you understood and remember the materials discussed throughout the semester.
And while finals often symbolize a large portion of your grade, failing them is not the worst thing to happen.
In general, if you failed one of the finals or midterms, your professor will probably let you pass the course.
Some teachers total up a student’s midterm, final, and homework or project-related grades before determining their final grade.
The purpose of weighted grade systems is to provide students with a numerical advantage for grades obtained in more difficult courses.
In short, failing your finals may feel like the end of the world. But after a deep breath, you can easily speak with your professors and be given other options for progressing.
However, if you neglect to pass the final exam, do not hand in assigned homework, or complete course work you may be held back a year in order to complete the work you did not do which can derail your academic progress.
Finals In College
Finals do take place in college, and often take place at the same time as high school finals. Mid-December and mid-April.
However, not every class requires a final exam in order to complete the course.
They hold the same significance as high school finals, however, failure to pass the exam would mean re-taking the class and rarely leads to re-sitting the entire year of college.
Tips For Preparing For Finals
Whether you are a high school student or a college student, finals week is one of the most stressful periods.
We have put together a few tips and tricks to help you prepare for your finals to manage stress and increase your success rate.
1. Strategy
Now that you know when your finals are going to take place, you can begin to plan for them.
This may mean creating a small to-do list of assignments and areas you want to focus on. Or you may want to go all out and create a comprehensive study schedule.
Having a strategy will allow you to see your progress in your studying and give you confidence when walking into the exam hall.
2. Study Groups
For many people, having someone to study with allows for further concentration and makes it easier to understand the content.
Plus, it allows you to make some friends that you may not have met otherwise.
3. Use Productivity Tools
Make use of productivity tools as you get ready for your college and high school finals.
You can organize bibliographies for final papers using citation management tools like Zotero or Paperpile. To learn key terms and ideas, you can also make an Anki deck.
4. Self-Care
This may be the most important tip on this list. Taking care of yourself is highly important.
Whether this means swapping your chemistry book for a steamy romance or grabbing some lunch with a friend, make sure to take some time for yourself.
This will allow you to have more concentration when you begin studying again, and lower your stress levels throughout finals week.
5. Review And Revise
Once you get feedback from an assignment, take the time to look over the notes made by your professor.
This highlights what they are looking for and will gain you extra marks during your final.
Make sure to ask your professor questions about the materials and make notes on anything you don’t understand.
Never put off reviewing or revising until the last minute.
Final Thoughts
In high school, finals are the final examination at the end of the semester. They determine the level at which you memorized and understand the material discussed throughout the class.
However, failure to pass your finals will not be the end of the world.
Simply study with some of the helpful tips above, try your best, and watch as you discover incredible about yourself.
Finals take place in mid-December and mid-April, giving you plenty of time to prepare and understand the materials.
Work hard, study, and watch as you continue to go from strength to strength!
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