Tips From Those in the Know
All you high-schoolers out there, listen up!
It’s that time of year--the dreaded final exam season, when everything you’ve learned in a semester gets regurgitated in a timed test of multiple choice or the dreaded long essay.
So, how have a handful of Orange County’s top students--some headed to Harvard, UCLA and Yale next fall--aced their finals?
Cramming never works, they say, but a good night’s sleep always does. And what’s the best breakfast food on test day? The vote goes to a glass of orange juice.
Beyond brain food and outlining, here are some tips from the county’s experts on prepping for exam week:
Kony Kim, 17, of Laguna Hills High: “Highlighting has been a lifesaver for me. Taking notes takes too long. I just photocopy the chapters and highlight key words. . . . I try to be selective in my highlighting and I only use one color. Color coding complicates things.”
Elke Wong, 18, of Canyon High School: “I like to listen to the ‘Titanic’ soundtrack while I’m studying because it’s a lot of music with no words, so I don’t get distracted.”
Laura Null, 18, of Esperanza High School: “I like to study on my trampoline outside in the sun. It’s so peaceful. You can hear the birds, and it gets me away from everybody else in my house.”
Shelly Leary, 15, of Esperanza High School: “I study with my friend on the telephone. We read over the material together and quiz each other. I tend to get distracted if I’m with another person while studying. If you’re talking on the phone, you’ve got to look at your material because there’s nothing else to look at.”
Lacey Tomjack, 17, of Buena Park High School: “I try and break it up a little bit each night. . . . Don’t procrastinate.”
John Shen, 18, of Buena Park High School: “When I have to write an essay, I put on classical music. It focuses me and calms me down. But when I’m studying math, I like fast music because I want my brain to be working fast.”
Krista Pellerin, 17, of Orange High School: “I wear this perfume when I study and then I wear it again on the day of the test. The smell helps me recall things.”
Krystel Peralta, 15, of Costa Mesa High School: “I always bring a snack with me when I study--usually milk and chocolate chip cookies--and then I study for half an hour at a time and then I take a five- or 10-minute break.”
Scott Worsley, 18, of El Modena High School: “With history, especially, remember you are reading about people. Compare what you’ve read to certain things in your life. It makes history more enjoyable and it helps you hold ideas together.”
Andrew Barr, 18, of Canyon High School: “I make up songs and pictures in my head. It helps me memorize.”
John Shen: “I like to eat sugar about half an hour before a test--like a Coke or a frappuccino from 7-Eleven. It wakes me up and helps me concentrate.”
Elke Wong: “I study hard for a couple of days before a test and then the day before I don’t study at all. I relax instead, so I won’t get stressed out. Sometimes, I’ll just go shoot pool or go ice-skating.”
