Although Christmas break is right around the corner, something a lot less exciting stands in the way: finals. 

With the ability to make or break your grade, knowing how to study for finals can be a daunting task, especially if it is your first time taking one at Jesuit. Sam David ’28 echoes these sentiments.

“Having finals is kind of scary,” Sam said. “It’s scary in the way that they can make your grade change a lot by either a lot or a little [positively or negatively] depending on if you do really good or really bad. From what I’ve heard they can be pretty difficult. But I’ve also heard that if you study enough then they aren’t really that bad.”

Jack Frings ’26 is a student who does exceptionally well academically, and has two years of finals experience. He has learned that paying attention in class throughout the year is a better strategy than cramming the night before the final.

“I’d always argue that the largest contributor to your grade on any final is the amount of time you spend on the class before cramming for the final,” Jack said. “Some people only choose to study for the big tests and the final which leads to them lacking a broader understanding of the subject.”

To study for finals, Jack believes that the first step is to figure out what you need to focus on.

“The best way to prepare for a final is to first diagnose your weaknesses,” Jack said. “I would argue you should then order your understanding of the concepts from your worst to your best. Then, focus on your weaknesses until they become your strengths.”

While finals are important, they’re not something to be intimidated by. Jack encourages freshmen to stay calm and get sufficient sleep.

“I would advise freshmen to take their finals seriously but not to psyche themselves out,” Jack said. “The finals will likely be almost identical to the tests in any course. What matters is that you prepare for as much as you can and then sleep. I can’t really stress that last part enough. Sleep correlates a lot more with academic performance than you’d first think and cramming overnight can often pose more harm than good.”

With Science, Visual Performing Arts, and Social Science on Wednesday, Theology, Math, and Conflicts on Thursday, and English and World Language on Friday, finals are right around the corner. Make sure to prepare well, and take Jack’s advice: get a good night’s rest the night before.