It is SOL season, and the Osbourn Eagles are either preparing for their SOLs or stressing themselves out over worrying about passing or not. But with the right useful testing tips and studying, they can be ready to take their SOL’s.

Students now have a lot of experience with taking SOLs and have formed an opinion of it. “I dislike having to sit there and stare at my computer after I’m finished. Most of the time, we just stay there till they tell us we can go back to regular classes. I also dislike how nervous I get the night before because I take my SOLs seriously,” said Darlene Cruz, a freshman here at Osbourn High School.

Sometimes the environment of SOL testing locations is different from others and can affect students’ learning abilities. “One thing I would change about the SOLs is doing them in a cold classroom with no windows because it’s not the best environment for me to focus in,” said Keila Rich, a junior here at Osbourn High School.

Although it is possible for students to focus in any environment they’re in and pass with a high score using their undivided attention to remember information from the class, their SOL is based on. “The highest score I have got in an SOL is 500 on my civics SOL. I paid attention the whole year and tried studying at the very last minute to make sure I remembered the material,” said Darlene Cruz.

There are a lot of different ways people study, whether it is outside of school or during school. “Take advantage of the block scheduling and do the assignment given to you on the night it is assigned so you can ask your teacher questions the next day. That way, you will always be prepared for each new lesson and every assessment as well. Also, be sure to check your answers/work with your teacher, a tutor, or a study buddy. If you get something incorrect, please ask questions. It is always a good idea to learn from our mistakes,” said Mrs. Kulakowski, a math teacher here at Osbourn High School.

In addition to taking the SOLs it is best to study in a testing environment similar to taking the SOL’s to get used to it and even more confident. “There are released SOL tests online. In addition to completing assignments from their teachers, students should do the problems on the released SOLs to practice, check their answers, and ask their teacher, tutor, or study buddy about any of them they miss,” said Mrs. Kulakowski.

Even when you pay attention in your classes all year and know the material, you may not know any testing skills. “Eliminate the wrong answers in order to make educated guesses on the questions you don’t know. Going from a 25% chance to a 50% chance on each question will increase your chance of getting a passing score on the SOL,” said Mr. Nejame, an English teacher here at Osbourn.

If students study outside or inside school with their classmates’ and teachers’ help, then they can be on a great path towards passing their SOLs. Along with using testing tools during the SOL, like eliminating options and doing released SOLs to practice prior to your SOL. Even though some students have their likes and dislikes about taking the SOLs, what they have in common is that they have to take them anyway, so they might as well try.