Since the month of May has arrived, students have begun to prepare to take their final exams. Finals week takes place during the last week of the school year, and it is often a very anxious time for students.

All of the work of a semester leads up to this week. In reality, students who perform well throughout the school year have more room to not score as highly on an exam and still end with a high grade.

Grace Enfield, a junior who is taking advanced placement classes and honors, is dealing with a heavy workload and has a strong strategy when preparing for finals.

“I make sure that throughout the semester I am submitting the best work I can and studying for tests so that I am not as stressed when it is time for finals,” said Enfield.

Another student in honors classes, Kiki Shah, explains how she best prepares for finals by starting off her studying weeks before the final exam takes place. This is a very strategic way to alleviate pressure and come to the test more prepared.

“I prepare for final exams by reviewing all of my notes and doing practice problems and worksheets. Another thing I like to do is watch YouTube videos on topics I am confused on. I usually start studying a week before, but for AP classes I sometimes start studying a bit before that as well,” said Shah.

Many upperclassmen take AP classes and, in result, do not need to take finals for these classes. This can alleviate some of this stress as students have less finals to study for and can prioritize studying for classes where they do have a final.

Overall, this week can be stressful and it is important for students to begin preparing for finals somewhat soon. The earlier people start studying, the more likely they are to score high on the exams.