As finals week encroaches upon us next month, it may bring up fruitless stress. Most of the time, this worry stems from a lack of studying and the occasional test jitters. The purpose of this piece is to inform you on a multitude of studying and test-taking tips to ensure you have a smooth finals week.

In order to ensure an effortless time while taking your exams, you must first study. One of the first important steps to review is to speak to your teacher frequently; this can be done during class, at lunch, after school, and even through email. Asking questions about previous topics helps to refresh your memory, and brings emphasis on topics you have to work on.

Another important keystone to studying is devising, or using a study guide. A study guide is a tool for your benefit, and should include the points you need to know on your test. Making a study guide is a great idea to help cement the focus topics into your mind. When given a study guide by a teacher, review it and ask questions if you are confused in the slightest.

When taking your exam, there are helpful practices that will reduce your anxiety. One of the most important of these being pacing. You must find a comfortable pace that will ensure you finish the test on time, and leave you some time to review your answers. A good way of doing this is to skip around to answer first the questions you understand, and then tackle the more troubling ones with your leftover time.

Lastly, and more importantly, sleep! Good luck Blackhawks!