Recently, Eve Laurito interviewed Mrs. Kelly about what she thought were the most important things to do to prepare for assessments. If you were ever at a loss trying to figure out how to study, this is a great tool to use to figure out the best ways to study. There are also tips about how to make sure you take care of your mind and body. Without further ado, here are the best tips and tricks for testing success! 

Tip #1: When you start studying, make a calendar with all your assessments, extracurricular activities, and other events. Then, add in all the days and times you’re going to study for each specific subject. Remember that you’re not making a calendar just for fun, stick with the study schedule you made!

While using your calendar you may be wondering what the best way to study is. Well, here are the best ways to study according to Mrs. Kelly:

Tip #2: Work in small groups or with a study partner. Practice explaining the topics to each other. Bounce ideas off of other people and help others understand the material you understand and vice versa. Make sure you have a specific plan in place to avoid getting off-topic while in the study groups to gain the maximum benefit of working with other people. 

Tip #3: Use Quizlet, notecards/flashcards, and old tests and quizzes to review and get a basic understanding. Make sure that all your slideshows and notes from class are organized and can be easily accessed. Whether this means having everything in a Google Docs or printing everything out and putting it all into one folder, that’s up to you!

Tip #4: Review by skimming. Even if in the past teachers have told you not to skim, this is a great way to review your notes or textbook pages. This is a good tool to use especially for your areas of greatest weakness. 

Tip #5: Build in time to take breaks while you’re studying. It’s not good to study for long periods of time because you can get overwhelmed, which is the opposite of what you want to be while studying. 

Tip #6: Minimize electronics. This doesn’t mean don’t use Quizlet or fun review games, it mostly means your phone or anything that gives you notifications to prompt you to turn on the phone and get lost in an Instagram wormhole. Minimizing electronics also means trying not to watch TV before bed or be on your phone right before going to sleep. This can really mess up your body’s ability to have a good night’s sleep, and as Mrs. Kelly mentioned, “The brain must get the appropriate amount of rest to effectively activate memory and recall.” 

Tip #7: Be mindful. This is a huge one. You have to think about all the opportunities you have been given. “Even failing is an opportunity,” says Mrs. Kelly “You are so ahead of where some other girls are. Failure or mistakes and disappointment are so important.” 

Those are all your tips for now. Hope they were helpful and informative, and on behalf of Ricordia and Mrs. Kelly, good luck with your second semester assessments!