Midterm Survival Guide
January 13, 2017
Midterms. One of the most stressful parts of the year. A week’s worth of about seven 90 minute tests that determine 10% of one’s final grade. Most students dread this time of the year, while others are able to manage it well. But if you are struggling under the pressure of midterms, don’t worry; there are a lot of other students who feel the same way as you do. This guide will give you a wide variety of help to make your midterm studying and testing as stress free as possible.
Tip 1: Manage Your Time
You’ve probably heard the phrase, “manage your time and don’t procrastinate,” many times before. However, it is extremely important during midterms that you focus on the material you need to know. Don’t save it for later and expect to easily learn the material. You have to take the time to understand what you are studying and give yourself enough time to do so. You can still allow yourself breaks and times to relax, but keep them limited and make sure to stay on task.
Tip 2: Start Early
You don’t have to start reviewing a month in advance, but it will be helpful to start organizing your materials and study guides a week or two in advance. This will help you get a head start on studying and you will have less prep work before you can actually study. This will help save time while studying so you can study efficiently. As for studying, students have found it helpful to dedicate the weekend before midterms. Casey Snow, a sophomore at Pentucket, said, “I did a lot of studying the weekend before and I think that helps.” She also explained that she enjoyed having half days which gave her more time to study.
Tip 3: Find Ways That Work For You
This may be hard to do but only you know yourself and how you learn best. Before studying think about past tests and exams you’ve had where you have done well. Try to remember how you studied for that test and try to replicate that learning style when studying for your midterms. Some different ways you may learn could be: making flashcards, creating a written out study guide, drawing pictures, creating an audio study guide, and much more. Just find what works best for you.
Tip 4: Get Plenty of Rest
This may seem like a simple task, but it can be extremely difficult, especially during the week of midterms. From personal experience, it can be hard to fall asleep early because you may be up late studying for tomorrow’s test or distracted; however, it is important to complete work as soon as possible in order to be well rested for the next day. This will ensure you wake up refreshed and ready for a long and tedious day of testing. Believe us you won’t regret the extra hour of sleep.
Midterms seem tough, but can be easy if you are well prepared. Studying and getting enough sleep will reflect on your grade. Time management and scheduling are beneficial and will help reduce the stress of midterms. Remember that midterms are important; however, overstressing will only make them worse. If you follow these tips you will most likely be successful!
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