Jonathan Alder High School exams will take place from December 16-19, just before the two week winter break. 

This year’s exam schedule is an unfamiliar one, following a two exam a day routine, which differs from previous years, when there were up to three exams scheduled in a day. 

This year, every day will have two exams and then a free period similar to how the Friday exam day worked in previous years. Each day will have the exams in order from first through eighth, Tuesday through Friday.

Tips on how to prepare for exams

I asked social studies teacher Kristi Loy to give some advice for taking and preparing exams to help lessen the stress load students might have, and she weighed in with the following: 

1. Don’t try to cram everything the night before. Break your studying into small chunks over several days. Even 20–30 minutes each night can make a huge difference. Your brain remembers more when you give it time, not when you overload it all at once.
2. Make yourself a quick study plan so you’re not guessing what to review.
   List your classes and write down what you need to study for each one. Having a plan keeps you from staring at your notes thinking, “Where do I even start?”  Also, make yourself a blooket or quizlet to help you study.  Better yet, download those apps so you can study on your phone wherever you are and even if you only have 5-10 minutes.
3. Ask questions, even if they feel small, dumb, or obvious. Your teachers expect and like questions during midterm season. If something doesn’t make sense, ask now instead of stressing about it later; I promise you someone else has the same question.  Remember, you are not bothering us, you’re preparing yourself and that is what we love to see!
4. Don’t forget to take care of the basics: sleep, food, and breaks. This sounds boring, but it’s real. Your brain needs rest to think clearly. Don’t stay up until 2 a.m. studying or cramming. Eat something before the exam so you’re not running on fumes. And take little breaks while you study, back to point 1…your brain works better when it’s not overwhelmed.

The official exam schedule was sent out via email on Dec. 4 to all students and families. All information about attendance and times for exams can be found there.