By Chloe Chan '24
After almost two years of remote learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic, New York City students returned to in-person school in September. Transitioning from staring at Zoom boxes and black screens to sitting in a physical classroom full of people was no easy feat: it was an abrupt change that required adjustment.
Online learning offered its perks and downsides. For many, learning during lockdown was more relaxed. NEST+m students had school from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM, compared to the 8:30 AM-2:50 in-person schedule; as a result, the workload was lighter, and students had more free time to explore interests.
However, for me, it was easy to become distracted during a Zoom lesson. During the lockdown, I procrastinated on several assignments until 11:59 PM and put off studying until the night before an exam. These habits leeched onto me when I entered my current year and balancing my studying with homework put me in a position where it was hard for me to stay motivated.
COVID-19 not only impacted my ability to complete homework and assignments promptly but also interfered with my exam-taking skills. Students who achieved an 85 or above in their class were exempt from taking the Regents. AP exams were taken online. Last year, lessons may not have included test prep towards the end of the year in Regents classes, since there were no tests to take. Students may have felt less pressure to engage in learning material as taking tests online was not as stressful. This year, more vigorous preparations are given for these tests, and students may lack motivation and struggle to familiarize themself with fast-paced lessons. Once again, the habits that I had adhered to last year put me in a tight spot for test prep, and I can only imagine that many of my peers are struggling with this same mindset. This can serve as an issue come final exams especially when a majority of the upper grade will be taking the Regents and/or AP exams this spring and summer.
So, how should we prepare for the Regents and APs? I’ve listed a few tips below.
Mentality-wise, always maintain confidence. Confidence is the key to believing that you will achieve your goal. Telling yourself that your efforts are futile and losing hope will only edge you to procrastinate. If you make the right efforts, good results will show up.
Allowing yourself to breathe. Sometimes we can overload ourselves with unnecessary stress and taking a break midway through our goals is healthy. Reading a book, taking a quick nap, or doing a hobby can ease up your mind and get rid of stress.
Setting goals and reminding yourself of the result of a future achievement will not allow any distractions and boost motivation for yourself.
Remember, goals are achievements you set out for yourself, not to beat your peers. Relying on others as your source of motivation can lead to a bad mindset and deteriorate your mental health.
Check your resources. Our school offers several different programs such as AP Classroom, Albert.io, DeltaMath, and other websites that can help you practice questions that focus on a specific topic in the subject.
Create a schedule of your testing dates and keep track of what you need to prioritize. Make a calendar and make specific notes to yourself on what that day will be used for; Homework, office hours, studying, etc. It is always important to organize your days ahead.
Scheduling appointments or filling out Google forms for office hours with subjects you need to touch base on will allow you to ask questions and create less uncertainty. Teachers will always be willing to help with any questions you need.
Best of luck to students taking the Regents and exams during the spring! Remember, you got this!
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