As the month of January comes to an end, capstones are starting to begin. From January 24 to January 27, capstones will be held to wrap up semester one. It is important to be prepared for these capstones and to know some tips that will help you get through them.
Make a study schedule and manage your time
If you’re someone who likes to plan and get organized, making a study schedule can be helpful for you. Plan out what capstones you have to take on what day and study based on that. For example, if you have a math capstone on Monday, studying and preparing for math might be the main focus for the weekend. Planning ahead can help relieve stress and help you feel organized and accomplished. It is important to manage your time wisely when preparing for your capstones. Saving everything until the last minute will not only increase your chance of not doing good, but it will also put a lot of unnecessary stress on you. Studying for maybe two classes every night for even just an hour each class will help you retain the information. Studying last minute typically means you aren’t really learning what you are reviewing. Even getting a head start on your capstone project can help a lot when you actually have to go into class and work on it. This could mean just planning out how you want to do it.
Get enough sleep
Although there are only up to two capstones per day, it is still important to get the proper amount of sleep the night before. According to Edweek.org “getting consistent and adequate amounts of sleep in the weeks leading up to a capstone can have a significant impact on how well students perform on tests.” It would be smart to try and go to bed at a reasonable time even the week before capstones to make sure you are on a schedule and will be prepared when the capstone week arrives.
Eat breakfast
I know that not everyone eats breakfast in the morning, but eating at least something as little as a granola bar or a yogurt can help. A quick healthy breakfast to make is oatmeal. Oatmeal is healthy and you can add berries and bananas to it to make it more flavorful. For those who typically eat a bigger breakfast, adding fruit, protein, and carbs to your breakfast will fuel your body up to take the capstones.
Bring a water bottle to school
Staying hydrated in between capstones and even during a capstone is important. The Bbc.com website says “students who take water into the examination hall may improve their grades.” A water bottle will help you through the process and you won’t have to get up in the middle of the capstone to go get water.
Be comfortable
For capstone week, wearing comfortable clothes to school is a good idea. Coming to school in sweatpants and a sweatshirt is probably going to make you more comfortable compared to if you showed up in jeans. Being comfortable can also help you become relaxed and ready to work.
Studying
If your capstone is set up like a traditional test, studying is beyond important. There is typically a lot of material to go over and it would be smart to start now. Studying the night before the capstone will not benefit you as much as beginning to study a week before. Studying with your friends is a fun and helpful way to review material. Quizzing each other on certain topics and reading material out loud can help you remember it more than if you go over the work once in your head. It would also be helpful to take advantage of any extra help your teacher provides regarding the capstone.
Give yourself a break
Don’t overwhelm yourself with work. Yes, preparing is important, but if it gets to the point where you are too overwhelmed, give yourself a break and don’t feel bad about it.
Relax
Taking midterms or completing capstone can be stressful so finding the right ways to relax your body and mind can be helpful. Taking a few deep breaths before walking into the testing room can help calm any nerves that you may be feeling. Meditating the night before, whether you listen to a meditation app or just play calming music in the background, can help put your mind and body at ease. Sometimes just stopping, closing your eyes, and breathing will help you refocus on the task that needs to be done.
It’s important to do what works best for you when preparing for capstones. Don’t let the process overwhelm you, but also don’t let the importance of doing your best slip your mind. Take time to prepare and work at a pace that will help you succeed.
