Final Exam General Information
3. Why do we
have final exams?
4. Should I
study for final exams?
5. How should I
study for final exams?
6. What will
be on the Spanish final?
7. What do I
need to bring on test day?
1.
What are final exams?
Final exams are tests based on all the stuff you
have learned so far in your classes. Not
all classes have final exams. Some may
have final exams that focus on some material more than others. Be sure to ask your teacher in each class
whether you have a test, and whether it will cover the entire year evenly or
focus on more recent material. Some
teachers may have a project or presentation due instead of an exam.
Exams are the last four days of each semester.
You may want to plan a schedule where you study for
the earliest finals first.
3.
Why do we have final exams?
Final exams have several purposes. One is to help you review the semester and give
you a chance to relearn important concepts.
Another is to give the teacher a sense of how well you have learned all
of the material in the class. Finals
should measure what you have in long-term memory. Another goal of final exams is to help you prepare
for college. Most classes in college
will have a comprehensive final exam or a major project. Learning study skills now will help you
later.
4.
Should I study for final exams?
The easy answer is YES! you should study. If you have more finals than you have time to
study, however, you need to prioritize.
Find out how much each final exam is worth. Also find out your grade for the rest of the
semester. You can use that information
to predict the final exam grade you need to get the grade you want in a course.
Example: Ned
had a 72% the first six weeks, an 85% the second six weeks, and he thinks he'll
have about a 90% by the time the third six weeks is over. The
average of those numbers is 82.3%.
If the final exam in his class is worth 20%, the calculation he needs to
do looks like this:
82.3
(.8) + x (.2) = semester grade
x
above is his final exam grade
So, if Ned wants an A- (or 90%) for the semester),
he needs a 120% on the final. (This is not likely)
If Ned wants a B (or 83%), he needs an 86% on the
final exam. (This is reasonable)
If Ned absolutely bombs the final, he can still get
a C (73%) with a 36% on the final.
So, Ned needs to decide what kind of grade he
wants. If he wants a good chance at a B, he has to study.
Two Rules of thumb:
1. The more the final
is worth, the more you'll need to study for it.
2. The more you have
worked in the class already, the less you'll need to study for finals.
5. How should I
study for final exams?
1. Plan finals week and the
week(s) before finals. Schedule time to
study for each class
2. Pay special attention to
review days in class. Teachers give
hints aplenty during this time. If
you're listening, you'll know what to work on most.
3. Find out what type of exam
you have in each class. If it's a
multiple choice test, you need to recognize the correct answers. If it's more open-ended, you need to be more
familiar with the material.
4. Do all the review sheets
your teachers give you. If the exercises
aren't self-checking, be sure to have the teacher check yours in time to know
what you need to study.
5. Go back over old exams and
quizzes to see what you need to work on.
6. Study what you don't know,
not what you do know. Spend time on the
most difficult material.
7. Use online practice sites
when available.
8. Study with friends if they
can stay on task with you. Form a study
group and get community connections credit.
9. Study in short blocks of
time. Take at least one 10-minute break
per hour of studying. Study as many
different days before the test as possible.
Don't cram it in in one evening!
10. Get at least 7 hours of
sleep EACH NIGHT of finals week. Don't
take the tests asleep! Eat a good
breakfast, and try to relax.
6.
What will be on the Spanish final?
Refer to the webpage for your level. Spanish II or Spanish III
6.
What do I need to bring on test day?
For Spanish, bring two number 2 pencils with at
least one good eraser. Mechanical
pencils are fine. Don't forget to eat a good
breakfast that day! Protein (bacon,
eggs, sausage, peanut butter) will help the most.