Miramonte’s students learn to deal with the pressure of final exams
“I need to lock in.”
With finals fast approaching, that’s one of the most common things you’ll hear a Miramonte student say – it’s GenZers’ way of describing “focus.”
And since the student culture at Miramonte is largely centered on academics, students lock in through different ways of studying, de-stressing and finding motivation.
For example, students retain information in different ways, using methods such as active recall, repetition and extra practice problems.
Molly Stout, a Miramonte junior, uses both passive and active recall to study for tests. “Passive recall helps me learn information through reading and listening, and active recall helps me retain it by testing myself,” she said.
One way students can practice active recall is by saying the information they want to remember out loud.
Stout uses active and passive recall most when she’s studying for her AP history exams.
Other students feel repetitive learning helps them most. Luca Maharbiz, a Miramonte junior, said he rereads his textbook for big tests.
“Rereading information strengthens the neural connections in my brain that move information from my short-term memory to long-term memory,” said Maharbiz.
Rereading information can also help students learn what they have missed on the first read.
Finding motivation to study in the first place can also be a challenge, which is why Talia Miller, a Miramonte junior said her source of motivation is college – it inspires her to work hard.
“Watching TV used to contribute to my procrastination, but now I only watch 30 minutes a day,” she said.
Another obstacle for students is having their phone out while they are supposed to be working.
Thaylo Westling, a Miramonte junior, said that one of his goals is to put his phone on ‘do not disturb’ while he studies.
“My phone distracts me more than it should, which keeps me from finishing assignments more efficiently,” said Wesling.
Westling isn’t the only one who gets distracted – the National University states 80-95% of students procrastinate.
Prioritizing other things over studying is a common mistake most students make. Maharbiz said he procrastinates without realizing it.
“I’ll throw on a review video while I do something else, and by the time it’s over, I realize I wasn’t even listening,” he said.
Finding a balance between studying and relaxing is also important.
During big test weeks, Stout says she de-stresses by taking deep breaths and talking with friends.
Stanford Lifestyle Medicine (stanford.edu) found that social interaction releases hormones, like dopamine, that have a myriad of positive health benefits.
“Hanging out with my friends,” said Stout, “provides me with a sense of connection that makes it easy to unwind from academic stress.”