Knightly News

While December may be the most wonderful time of the year, exam season can be one of the most stressful for Middle and Upper School students. Fortunately, in a community of learners, ample support is available, with classmates and teachers providing assistance and encouragement to make the season brighter.

Academic Resource Center Fellows Spread Cheer and Study Tips

Throughout the school year, Academic Resource Center Fellows provide regular peer tutoring, and now, during exam season, they have stepped up their offerings. In advance of midterm/finals week, Fellows hosted ninth grade Exam Prep sessions using a presentation created by Fellows Zoey Hodges and Madeline Greene. As is the case with peer tutoring, Fellows can relate to the freshmen in a meaningful way as they know what it is like to prepare for numerous exams at the same time and the pressure this can create. Having a peer offer firsthand advice on what not to do and what to do in preparing for exams is a powerful and positive way to help students feel supported.

In a recent Exam Prep session, Fellows were confident and readily recalled the courses and how they tackled exams. In addition to offering personal knowledge, the Fellows also suggested proven study methods like spaced practice, elaboration and retrieval practice.

Space, Elaboration and Retrieval

Research shows that five hours of studying over two weeks is ten times more effective than five hours the day before the exam. With that in mind, Fellows encouraged ninth graders to space out studying and review a little every day. Fellows also encouraged classmates to elaborate on what they know. They suggested that students ask themselves questions as they study, visualize the main idea, make Venn diagrams and discuss what they’ve learned with others. Lastly, the Fellows suggested that test takers retrieve their knowledge by writing down or brain dumping what they’ve learned about the topic. They pointed out that flashcards are an ideal method for brain dumping.

Student Leaders Weigh In

These study concepts are favorites among Episcopal’s student leaders, many of whom are also Fellows. When asked for their two favorite study strategies, the group reported the following.

• Semi-colons and periods are the same thing. If an answer choice has a semicolon option and a period option, both of them are wrong. 
• Do not leave any bubbles blank. If you do not know the answer, guess!

Valerie O’Connor, President

1. "Brain Dumps"
A. This is an active recall exercise where, before beginning to study, you write down everything you can remember about a certain topic/unit. Once you're done writing down absolutely everything, you can look back at your notes to see what you forgot and those are the things that will be most important to go back and study. (This is especially helpful for classes that require a lot of fact memorization).

2. Reviewing past mistakes
A. Instead of just doing random practice problems, I look back at any homework, quiz, or test problems I got wrong, try to understand where I went wrong/what my misunderstanding was, ensure that I have corrected my misunderstanding, and then redo the problems to ensure I now know how to solve them correctly.

Miniya Malone, Chief of Staff

1. Space out your studying over several days (Don’t cram).

2. “Brain Dump” - start with a blank piece of paper and write down as much information as you can remember for each term.
Sophia Arnold, Senior Representative

Teacher and Parent Support

In addition to a supportive student community, students can depend on teacher assistance. Fellows encouraged ninth graders to consult with their teachers, emphasizing that Episcopal educators readily meet with students and offer help as needed. Teachers also stay current on the latest in studying, learning and technology to fully support students.

We wish Episcopal students a merry exam season. No doubt, with such a supportive community and thoughtful preparation, students will achieve high marks. As we move into a new semester, the Fellows will continue offering peer support, and parents and students are encouraged to take advantage of this valuable resource. 

Making an appointment with an Academic Resource Center Fellow is easy. Students and families can log in to Canvas and click the appointment button on the Academic Resource Center course page. A direct link to the scheduling system can be found here, as well.

The Episcopal School of Baton Rouge 2025-2026 application is now available! ​For more information on the application process, to schedule a tour, or learn more about the private school, contact us at [email protected] or 225-755-2685.