It’s that time of the year again. Keystones, AP tests, and finals are all less than a month away, making students’ stress levels higher than normal.

  Although these tests may seem daunting, there’s no need to worry. Here’s how to study for these tests without spending what feels like never-ending hours in front of a textbook.

Start Preparing Early:

  Waiting to study until the night before might work for a simple vocab quiz, but for big tests such as these, that kind of work ethic will not give you the kind of results you want to see. The earlier you begin studying, the better.

  Making a study plan that focuses on what information you need to cover on what days and for how long will help you get those high scores. Make sure to spread out how much you study and how often you study for the best results.

Use Practice Materials:

  If you don’t already have a Quizlet account, now’s the time for you to get one. Quizlet is an online learning tool where you can create flashcards for anything you need to study.

  Making flashcards is one of the best ways to study because they “burn information into the brain as they engage active recall.” Not only that, but making flashcards online takes very little time.

  AP tests have various resources online for students to use as they please. Websites such as Learnerator have daily reviews set up for AP tests, which include videos and practice tests to aid you in your studying. 

Study in a Distraction-Free Environment:

  We’ve all been there before. You’re trying to study, but Twitter is calling your name. Before you know it, it’s been three hours, and you haven’t studied a thing.

  Before studying, turn off the TV, your phone, etc. to prevent yourself from getting distracted. However, if you need the Internet to study, you can use an app such as SelfControl to block distracting websites for a short period of time, so you can stay focused on your studies.

Study for Shorter Amounts of Time:

  Many students fear the idea of studying for hours on end, but that kind of studying is not necessary for these large tests. In fact, after about 25-30 minutes, your ability to retain information reduces.

   Giving yourself 15-minute breaks between study sessions will help you remember the information you’ve learned and also help keep you motivated.

Find a Good Study Spot:

  Having a good study spot can actually help improve the effectiveness of your studying. Studying will become much more enjoyable if you like where you are studying.

  Choose an area where there are not too many people to cause distractions and a place where you are comfortable. Although your bed may seem like an ideal location, try choosing a different area, so you are not tempted to fall asleep while studying.

  Following these tips can help make the end of the school year as stress-free as possible, even with all of the various tests to study for.