As November changes to December, talk of Christmas, parties, presents and Christmas break is in the air.

However, before focusing on Christmas, many students are preparing–or need to be preparing– for final exams.

By senior year most students know how to study for finals; however, many underclassmen are still trying to figure out the best methods for studying for finals.

As a senior in high school, I feel as though I have figured out most of the tips and tricks for studying for the exams.

Here are my top five tips for studying for finals.

• Do not wait until the last week to make your study guides and materials. Get organized as soon as possible.

1. 1. • The goal is to be as organized as possible as soon as possible, so when you feel it’s time to start studying for finals, you do not sit looking for your materials and trying to organize your study guides when you are trying to learn the material.

• Study over multiple days. Do not cram.

1. 1. • Cramming for finals does NOT work. You cannot study the day before and feel like you are going to ace the final. The best thing to do is studying the material a little bit over multiple days in order to give your mind some time to process the information.

• Quizlet is your best friend.

1. 1. • Paper flashcards are great, and that is how I survived my middle school years. However, I feel in high school that Quizlet is a lot more beneficial. Many teenagers are always on their phones, so being able to study flashcards on your phone helps a lot. Whether you’re lying in bed, riding in the car or studying at your desk, Quizlet is an easy and accessible option to use with a lot of different subjects.

• Study for the subjects that are your most challenging.

1. 1. • Though studying for subjects you are not good at can be boring or difficult, you have to put more time into the subjects where you are struggling. If you put the time in, you will most likely get the result you want to see. All you can do is try your best, so study hard, and do the best you can.

• Finals aren’t everything.

1. • Though many people stress about finals, they are not everything. Finals can only be up to 20% of your grade, so worst case scenario being you fail the final, your final grade will only drop a few percentage points. So, do not stress!

Overall, just try as hard as you can, and do the best you can do. If you study hard, put the time in and don’t wait until the last minute, and you will be just fine.