Exams begin next week, and there is a lot to know! Students have an exam for each class unless eligible for senior exemptions or credentialed out of a CTE exam. Exams are worth 20 percent of every final grade, so it is important to take them! Below is Apex’s exam schedule for week of January 10-14:

Daily Exam Schedule	7:25 – 10:50: Exam Period 10:50 or end of exam session: Dismissal to Study Hall or from campus
Monday, January 10 –	First Period Exam
Tuesday, January 11 –	Second Period Exam
Wednesday, January 12 –	Third Period Exam
Thursday, January 13 –	Fourth Period Exam
Friday, January 14 –	Make-Up Exams

Exams are an important part of your grade, which is often a big stressor for students. In order to combat the stress there are a few things to remember to manage tension and perform your best on your exams!

1. Start Preparing Now: Do not wait until the night before to review everything from the semester, break the material up into chunks over a couple of days leading up to exams. Equally, do not freak out if you get off schedule, tomorrow is another day. 
2. Take Care of Yourself: It is important to stay physically and mentally healthy during testing, so be sure to take care of your body. Taking breaks while studying, eating and sleeping properly, and keeping up pre-existing daily routines is important so that you are at your best for exams! 
3. Set Realistic Goals: Regardless of the amount of time before your exam, setting realistic goals will help put things into perspective. Accepting your situation and working within the realms of what you can do will maximize productivity while helping you stay grounded.
4. Get Support from Others: Asking for help is never shameful, and research has shown that studying with peers is very effective in allowing students to better absorb class material. If you are struggling, talk to friends, family, or a tutor about how you are feeling: social support often gives emotional benefits like a better sense of confidence and autonomy.
5. Keep an Open Mindset: Lots of people will tell you this, because it’s true – exams aren’t everything. Regardless of what happens in your exams, you can still be successful in life. Once you’ve completed an exam, try not to dwell on it. There’s nothing you can do about it after the fact and worrying won’t change your score. If it happens that you don’t do as well as you’d hoped, remember that exams don’t define you as a person– there is so much more to you than a score on a test.

Good luck to everyone taking exams next week, you are more capable of achieving your goals than you know!

References and Resources

https://www.studentminds.org.uk/examstress.html

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2017/apr/7-tips-help-you-cope-exam-stress