The last few weeks and days of the school year is difficult. Students are looking forward to summer, and sometimes might be tempted to slack off towards the end. Staying engaged and focused through the end of the school year might be a challenge, but there are still ways you can prepare for the last day of school and make the last few weeks memorable and impactful.
At Costa Comprehensive Tutoring, I strive to help students develop skills to make math an approachable subject–whether the school year’s just beginning, or you’re ready to dive into summer. And as a math tutor in Colorado Springs, Colorado, my goal is to make the student self-sufficient. Part of this is helping students know what they can do to prepare for the last day of school and finish out well. Here are some of the top ways to do just that.
Stick To a Routine
The sun is out and the weather is warming up, which means it can be more difficult to enforce routines and stay in a good pattern of studying. But it is important to continue to make time for homework while there’s still work to be done. A good learner can develop responsibility and perseverance to do what they need to, until the work is done. And the work is almost done! Maintaining your school year schedule through the last project and the end of finals will help reinforce good study habits long term.
Prioritize Tasks
Sometimes, the end of the year can feel overwhelming. So many projects, quizzes, and tests are scheduled around the same time. For students, it’s important to remember: there are only so many hours in the day. What are the most important tasks to get done? This might mean studying for a final in a class you feel less confident in. It could mean spending more time on that last project that’s worth a large portion of your final grade. Start by identifying the most important task to get done, and work backwards from there to make sure you get the biggest assignments done on time.
Write a List
There are so many things to get done at the end of the school year. As you prepare for the last day of school, you might find many tasks coming to mind that end up stressing you out. Maybe you’ve prioritized, but there are still many tasks at hand. Take a moment to sit down with a pen and paper, and write out every one of those things.
Even just the act of writing things out can help relieve stress, and can remind you that you don’t have to remember all of the tasks now–you have them written down, and can come back to them later. And if you are feeling discouraged or overwhelmed towards the end of the school year, sit down to write a list of all your successes in the school year. This will help remind you what you have accomplished, as well as why you should finish strong.
Check-in With Others
Students can check-in with one another and use one another as support in finishing the school year out strong. Whether you create a study group or invite a few friends to join you, checking in with others is an integral part of preparing for the end of the year. You can create a study group to help push you through the home stretch. Bounce ideas and questions off of each other, and check in about homework progress. Even things like prioritizing and making lists can be done alongside peers. You can also ask each other these two questions, and share with each other:
- What are some things you can do to finish the school year strong?
- How can you help your classmates finish the year strong?
Supply Check
One thing that can stand in the way between students and their end-of-the-year success is the tools they have. After several semesters of hard work and a lot of time spent at home or in the classroom, students might find themselves without good supplies towards the end of the year. Pencils might no longer have erasers. Paper might be in low supply. It’s hard to do your best when you don’t have the proper tools you need. A new pencil might make the difference between frustration and focus.
Make Reachable Goals
Goals are a great way to stay motivated towards the end of the school year. You can select 1 or 2 reasonable goals to set your mind on while you’re finishing up. These goals should still be a little challenging, like keeping your study time in place until the very last day or going through those practice problems three more times so you’re prepared for that last exam. You can use these goals in the classroom, and you can also work on them at home.
Preparing For Success | Costa Comprehensive Tutoring
These are some of the tools you may need to prepare for the last day of school this year. In addition to these, math tutoring is always a great way to prepare for success–whether you’re studying for finals, or even trying to retain your skills over the summer. Need a little bit of extra help? Get in touch to book a tutoring session and let’s help you with any of your math needs.
