Important Info About Finals

Caroline Whitesel, Editor-in-Chief|November 30, 2018

In my entire high school career, from the time I came to ACP and looking to my graduation in May, I will have taken 48 final exams. That doesn’t seem like a lot of tests, but personally, when I am taking these big exams, they feel like a lifetime. Knights, finals are coming up fast! If you’re already stressed out and trying to find the perfect way to prepare, look no further! Our Newspaper Staff is here to help!

For starters, here are some key facts about our finals in general. It is a district policy that finals cannot be administered early. If you are out of town or sick on our finals days, which are Wednesday, December 19 and Thursday, December 20, you will have until Friday, January 19 to make up these tests. If you miss your finals, teachers are required to put a zero in the grade book until the final is made up. This will be reflected on your final grade, so it is not a good idea to miss your finals. The best plan is to make sure you will be at school December 19 and December 20! If you have any questions regarding your finals, make sure you, the student, contact your teacher before any other actions are taken, such as contacting administration.

Now, you may be wondering, why do I have to take finals? Finals are simply a test that cover all the information form a course that has been taught since the beginning of the year. These tests are administrated simply to make sure a student has fully comprehended the important information regarding a course. Moreover, the following information discusses more about the final exams themselves.

There is a lot of information regarding our end-of-the-year exams. One of the most asked questions is: When are our final study guides released? All study guides will be available by Friday, December 7. These study guides are vital to the final exams themselves . They usually contain vital information for our exams; I have found that many study guides tend to be very specific, which is a great study tool.

Also, there will be three finals scheduled per day. On Wednesday, December 19, all students will go to periods one, three, and five, for 90 minutes each, with a five-minute passing period. Students will attend a similar schedule on Thursday, December 20, for they will attend periods two, four, and six for 90 minutes each, with a five-minute passing period.
Both Wednesday and Thursday will be half days, with a dismissal at 12:25. Students, make sure your arrange to be picked up at this dismissal time. Due to this half day, no lunch will be served. Students may bring snacks to eat during the five-minute passing period.

As mentioned before, all students will have 90 minutes to complete their finals. No extra time will be given, so make sure you prepare to complete your final in this allotted time. Finally, there will be no school in Friday, December 21; this marks the first day of our winter break!

If you’re like me, all this information may seem overwhelming. Don’t worry, Knights! Here is a some information on how to successfully prepare for your finals:

Start studying now! Even though final exams seem far away, it is best to start planning, organizing, and studying now. There are many ways you can study, and not everyone studies the same way. I found it easiest to make flash cards and study them five to ten at a time, until I have mastered the small group. After I memorized the first group of cards, I move to a second group of five to ten cards and repeat the process until I know all my important terms. I use the provided study guide to find all the terms and key facts I must know. Find a study plan that works for you and use it for all your classes, in order to become successful.
Organize your notes. Organizing your notes is a great way to prepare for your finals. This can help you become prepared for your final exam study guide; this allows you to find the required information more efficiently.
Set time limits. Researchers say that a student is most successful when he or she studies for 45 minutes, with a 15 minute break in-between. If this method does not work for you, find your own! Make a study schedule and stick to it.

Finals are fast approaching, but if you focus, prepare, and study, you will be very successful on your exams. Good luck, Knights!