Keep yourself calm, organized, and prepared for mid-term exams.
Midterms can be a stressful time, especially for freshmen, seeing as this could possibly be their first real college exam. The following tips will aid you in a successful semester and hopefully in obtaining the desired grades on your exams.
10 Study Tips:
First off, yes! You should study! Although it may seem a bit tedious and might even make you feel overwhelmed, it’s important to study and make sure you have a clear understanding of the class content.
- Join a Study Group:
Study groups are not for everyone, and some may even prefer to work alone, and that is perfectly okay! However, I would highly recommend trying out a study group at least once. It’s a great way to meet with your peers and classmates to discuss the content, while also bouncing ideas off of one another. If any questions come up while you are studying, there’s a good chance that one of your group mates will have an answer, or at least be able to point you in the right direction. Remember, you aren’t in this alone and I’m sure others around you will have similar questions.
- Take In-Class Notes:
Taking notes during lectures and keeping track of key points allows for a great study guide later on. When you take notes yourself, you retain a lot more information and will better understand the material when studying. Not only that, but note-taking also forces you to pay attention and helps you focus in class.
- Process Notes:
Do a thorough look through your class notes, or even a quick skim. When doing this, mark anything that stands out to you. This can include an important topic, any terms you need to memorize, or even sections that you may need a further understanding of. This helps you to narrow down what it is you need to study the most, and what you already have a clear understanding about.
- Do All Your Homework:
As tedious as that may sound, it’s genuinely one of the most important things you can do to help yourself pass an exam. Professors don’t just give homework out of malice (well, most do not), but they do it in an attempt to know that you are understanding what is being taught. Look at it as “mini-reviews” rather than “homework.”
- Plan Ahead:
Make yourself a “study schedule”, or dedicate certain days to studying for specific exams. Planning ahead keeps you organized and hopefully, keeps you on track as well. Even with a busy schedule, be sure to space out your study sessions, allowing you to retain more information compared to pulling all-nighters.
- Go to Office Hours:
Most professors have set office hours, either daily or weekly. It may seem intimidating at first to go and meet with your professors one on one, but they set aside these hours for you and to help you wherever you find yourself struggling. Take advantage of this time and utilize whatever resources you are provided. Professors will appreciate you stopping by and putting in the extra effort to understand class content.
- Discover Your Own Learning Style:
Everyone learns differently. While auditory learning works well for some, visual learning may work better for others, and so on. Take time to experiment with different learning styles and discover what works best for you as a student. Allow yourself to experience what it is like to learn outside of your comfort zone, and you could even find better study methods.
- Take Practice Exams:
Some professors may allow access to past exams to help you prepare for the real exam you are about to take. There’s even the option of googling exams for a specific topic. Quizlet is used by many students to make or find notecards, study them, and even take practice exams surrounding that set of notes.
- Take Study Breaks:
Short breaks in between study sessions help you retain back your energy and focus. Don’t take breaks that are so long that you end up losing focus, but it’s important to take a step back, grab a snack, get a drink, or even take a shower before going back to your notes.
- Alleviate Stress:
Midterms and exams typically have the largest influence on your grades, which induces a lot of stress on students. While stress can be good in some cases for motivational purposes, there is such a thing as too much of it. You don’t want to overwhelm yourself. Plan ahead, stay organized, and participate in stress-reducing activities like reading or riding a bike!