Executive Function Challenges during Midterms

It’s December. As students turn their attention to final exams, it's important for us, as parents and educators, to help them finish strong this semester. Chances are, if you browse the social media pages of ed-tech companies like Quizlet and Kahoot, you’ll find myriad recommendations for students to conquer cumulative exams. Likewise, every tutoring company in the city is offering midterm cram sessions right now… but is that really what students need – more content, more repetition, and more time with the textbook?

As a 20-year advocate for Executive Function (EF), I unsurprisingly see the midterm push as a test of a student’s ability to flex the compensatory skills that I built my company around – organization, time management, learning skills, and impression management. In my mind, midterm preparation is less about the results and more about the process. If students can master the process, the results will come. Students, particularly those with learning differences, face incredible hurdles when it comes to preparing for cumulative exams. Multi-faceted exams with no clear path to success, given sequentially so students must string together several weeks of great study habits or face the consequences of procrastination. Better yet, students are given an exam like this in nearly every class within the same week. It sounds disastrous for the child who struggles with ADHD or underdeveloped EF skills.?

Our role, as parents and educators, is to provide students with the tools and support systems they need to thrive. Particularly in this stress midterm exam period, I want to call attention to the Executive Function challenges that many students face when preparing for cumulative exams, and provide insights, tools, and tactics so you can help your student get ahead and stay ahead.?

Organization?

Cumulative exams are all about structure – structuring study time, structuring responses to essay questions, structuring an approach to test day. The problem is that most students ignore the organizational component of exam preparation.?

What does your student’s ‘study bunker’ look like right now??

The average student’s desk is covered in piles of review guides and old tests, two or three open textbooks from different courses, and a half-eaten granola bar that’s at least two days old. Vital tools like a computer charger, a hole-puncher, extra paper, and a calculator are out of reach.?

A clear desk promotes a clear mind. To crush exams this week, students should remember the one-subject-at-a-time principle: only have materials for the class you are currently studying on the desk at any given time. Students should also stock up on everything they need to study before they get started. Nothing kills a productive study session like a trip to find a computer charger or a calculator. Prepping the study environment beforehand avoids many of these procrastination trapdoors.?

Time Management

Time management is vital during exams, both in preparation for the test and when in the exam room. We recommend students take some time to plan their studying instead of just diving in. Far too many students like to feel busy during exam prep rather than making sure they are productive. The solution is to break down each subject’s studying into concise chunks with clear deliverables (e.g., complete the practice exam without looking at notes).?

Equally important to time management is scheduling break time. Burnout and over-studying are real, and they disrupt plenty of students during exam week. Students should aim for a 10-minute break for every 60 minutes of studying, and scheduling longer breaks after a few hours of work. There are diminishing returns to sitting at a desk pouring over a study guide. Students who take breaks can achieve more in less time. They are also fresher when it’s time to perform on exam day.?

Learning Skills

Study smarter, not harder. Learning how to learn is one of the key tenets of our EF-driven curriculum. Every student learns differently, yes, but success leaves clues. Students who perform best during exams have certain commonalities with how they study: a macro to micro approach, realistic self-testing, and interleaved practice. They focus on understanding the broader concepts before they dive into the details. For instance, students might start studying for their history exam by sketching a broad timeline of events across all the chapters they covered, so when they study the specific names, dates, and events, they have anchor points to help jog their memory. In biology, students might start with the chapter summary before diving into the vocabulary and cycle charts. Studying in this way is not only more enjoyable, it boosts retention tenfold.?

Self-testing is a hallmark of student success. The cardinal rule of exam prep is to make sure you are not surprised on test day. That math concept might seem straightforward when it's in your notes, but the complexities of applying the material you learned might prove you wrong. Students should design realistic practice tests well before the exam date. Then, they can go into the exam with confidence.?

Lastly, students should avoid repeating the same content over and over during their studying. For instance, some students will hit their flashcards in the same order every time. They know the first 10-15 really well, but they struggle with the back half of the deck. Or worse, some students develop word recognition rather than true mastery over the material by overusing Quizlet and other rote memory devices. Interleaved practice focuses on the hardest content first or provides some randomness to the review order, so students know if they have truly mastered the material.?

Impression Management?

Students shouldn’t overlook impression management during exam week either. The golden rule of academics is whoever has the gold makes the rules. Students should know that teachers want them to perform well on exams, so it’s not against the rules to ask them for help in deciding what material to emphasize and what common mistakes students have made in the past. Attending review sessions and office hours not only shows the teacher that the student cares about succeeding in the class, but it also helps students demystify the exam as teachers will give not-so-subtle hints about what topics will be covered.?

Accountability & Support System

Our last tip is simple: help your student by providing accountability and a broader support system. Whether it’s encouraging office hour appointments, helping to schedule study group sessions, or finding a one-on-one academic coach for this stressful time period, accountability goes a long way to keeping your child confident and sharp during exams. For more ideas like this, please check out our blog . If your child could benefit from one-on-one academic coaching, please reach out today to learn more about our services .