Hershey

Teachers guide students through finals

Kieri Karpa, Layout Manager
May 25, 2017

As final tests and Keystone exams approach, students are looking to find the best study methods to help them succeed.

Teachers have developed their students’ skills throughout the year for these tests and wish for their students to do well. Hershey High School teachers shared their advice on preparing for the tests, and encouraged students to feel confident as they continue in their academic endeavors.

The first of the big tests are the Keystone Exams, which Erin Ives’ 10th grade English classes will be taking. She believes the best way to prepare her students is repetition because “…all questions are [written] the same,” she said.

She believes practice problems and exposure helps students understand how questions are worded and how to answer them. However, Ives said that the best way for students to be ready for their tests is to be confident.

“Students’ teachers are working with them and have prepared them for these tests,” said Ives.

Ives acknowledged that students may feel stressed over certain tests; however, she would like to remind students that one score will not matter after a few years.

Similarly, HHS math teacher Daniel Fornataro prepares his students for their finals by reviewing concepts and answering questions. He enjoys using review problems and tries to cover each chapter with his students through practice problems.

He suggests that students start practicing early. He started reviewing concepts for the final with his precalculus classes at the beginning of May, and he wants his students to push themselves to keep working like they have until the end of the year.

“There is a light at the end of the tunnel,” said Fornataro.

He also believes that organization is important.

“You have to organize the information to study or you will spend a lot of time working on things you don’t need to be studying,” he said.

Similarly, HHS chemistry teacher Emily Hoover believes that studying over a long period is the best way to study. She reviews concepts with her students daily, often incorporating past concepts to prepare students for future tests and finals.

Hoover suggests that students study for twenty minutes a day as opposed to several hours the night before the test. She believes studying for a 20 minutes with a 5 minute break will “keep your brain from maxing out.”

All three teachers believe their students are prepared for the upcoming tests. Ives, Fornataro, and Hoover all believe that although there are some things they will need to review, their students will be just fine.

“Deep breaths. It will be great to walk away knowing you tried your best. You can relax after finals,” said Hoover.