As the winter season settles in, students all over the district get ready for the upcoming fall semester finals and establish various studying tactics in order to pass classes. It is a period of stress for many, with the ultimate decision of which finals to exempt weighing on students’ minds. Sophomore Ayesha Mohammad is just one of the many planning to exempt finals this semester.

“I am thinking of exempting Chemistry and English this semester and then CSP and Algebra in spring because I want to save my exemptions for the harder classes at the end of the year,” said Mohammad.

Many students tend to exempt easier classes during the fall semester in order to keep exemptions for more difficult classes in spring. For students such as Mohammad however, this means keeping up with studying for the difficult classes’ finals in order to successfully pass the course this semester. Students begin to establish certain studying habits and methods as preparation. For Mohammad, going over previous tests from the semester has been her routine studying method.

“I like to study by reviewing past tests and reviews from my classes,” Mohammad said. “It is easier for me to prepare for finals that way.”

Mohammad prefers reviewing over previous course content material as her studying tactic. This allows her to refresh her memory on concepts and lessons in a concise and simple manner. Mohammad uses this method in a simple study plan she has set up for finals.

“I don’t have a structured study routine,” said Mohammad. “I spend two hours studying for a specific subject every night. I don’t have any extracurriculars so I have a lot of time to study.”

Every student has their own preferred method for studying. For sophomore Rhea Bhatt, studying with others is her way to go. Reteaching course content to her friends helps her memorize effectively and better her understanding of the material.

“I normally don’t like studying at all, but if I had to choose, studying with another person or my friends has always worked best for me,” Bhatt said. “I would encourage other students getting ready to prepare for finals to find a studying habit that suits them. Having a study habit to stick to makes everything so much easier.”