Finish Strong: Study Smarter With the Right Support
By Aaron Minkus, M.E., M. Ed I Skokie, IL I December 3, 2025
Aaron Minkus is a highly respected executive functioning coach with over 20 years of experience helping students meet and exceed their academic and personal goals.
The end of the school year always seems far away until suddenly it isn’t. Many students fall into a familiar trap: waiting until the last minute to prepare for final exams and projects. This “end-of-year slump” can undo months of hard work, as finals often have an outsized impact on grades.
The good news? With intentional planning and the right support, students can finish the year with confidence instead of stress. Below are key strategies our Academic Coaching team uses to help students build an effective finals study plan—and why working with an executive functioning coach can make all the difference.
1. Know Where You Stand—Before It’s Too Late
Many students don’t actually know their current grades. Avoidance, missing assignments, or a sudden wave of newly posted work can make it easier to look away than to face reality. But understanding where they stand is the first step toward finishing strong.
Students should:
Review current grades in every class
Identify missing or incomplete assignments
Talk with teachers about opportunities to submit late work or revise past assignments
How an executive functioning coach helps:
Coaches help students overcome avoidance and break this step into manageable actions. Instead of feeling overwhelmed or shutting down, students learn how to check grades regularly, initiate conversations with teachers, and take ownership of their academic standing.
2. Evaluate Each Final for Difficulty and Impact
Not all finals are created equal. Some exams are cumulative and heavily weighted, while others may be smaller projects or presentations. Students need to understand what each final entails and how challenging it will be for them, not just in theory.
A helpful strategy is to rank each final or project on a scale (for example, 1 = easy, 10 = extremely challenging). This allows students to prioritize their time and energy appropriately.
How an executive functioning coach helps:
Many students struggle with prioritization and time estimation. Coaches guide students in realistically assessing difficulty, understanding grade impact, and creating a plan that matches effort to importance—skills that extend far beyond finals week.
3. Gather and Organize Study Materials
Before meaningful studying can begin, students need to know what to study. This means identifying:
Study guides or review packets
Notes, past assignments, and assessments
Online resources recommended by teachers
This step alone can feel overwhelming, especially for students who struggle with organization or have materials scattered across folders, backpacks, and digital platforms.
How an executive functioning coach helps:
Coaches support students in organizing both physical and digital materials, identifying gaps, and reaching out to teachers when resources are missing. This reduces frustration and helps students study more efficiently instead of spinning their wheels.
4. Plan Ahead and Use Spaced Repetition
Cramming the night before an exam rarely leads to strong results—and it creates unnecessary stress. Research consistently shows that spaced repetition, or studying in short, frequent sessions over time, leads to better understanding and long-term retention.
For example, studying vocabulary for 10 minutes a day over two weeks is far more effective than a single marathon session the night before a test. Writing out a study plan on a calendar helps make this approach realistic and achievable.
How an executive functioning coach helps:
This is where many students get stuck. Coaches help students map out study plans, stick to schedules, and adjust when life gets in the way. They provide accountability, structure, and strategies to help students follow through—especially when motivation is low.
Why Executive Function Coaching Makes the Difference
Most students know they should plan ahead, stay organized, and avoid procrastination. The challenge is turning those intentions into consistent action. Executive functioning coaching bridges that gap.
By working with a coach, students learn how to:
Break large tasks into manageable steps
Manage time and energy effectively
Reduce stress and last-minute panic
Build skills that support long-term academic and life success
Partnering With Minkus Educational Solutions
At Minkus Educational Solutions, we partner with parents to help teens build stronger executive functioning, organization, and study skills. Serving families on Chicago’s North Side and throughout the suburbs, including Evanston, Wilmette, Glenview, Kenilworth, Winnetka, Glencoe, Skokie, Deerfield, Northbrook, Highland Park, and Lake Forest, our customized programs empower students to become confident, independent learners, ready to succeed in school and beyond.
