Time Management and Midterm Tips

Check your syllabus for Midterm/Exam days and due dates

You. Need. To. Check. Your. Syllabus. Know what days your midterms and exams are going to be so you can prepare during the days leading up to them. Are they going to be during the usual class times, or are they going to be in different classrooms/lecture halls and at different times? If you can’t make the midterm or exam date due to serious circumstances, check your professor’s policy and discuss with your professor beforehand (not the day of or the night before) on how you can make it up, preferably in-person. You also need to be aware of paper, project, and midterm assignment due-dates beforehand. If you’re in a group, get your group together and prepare. If you’re working on a paper, write an outline and rough draft a few days before so you can check with a professor, discuss with your friends and classmates about the topic, and edit it.

Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize

Some classes aren’t as difficult or “important” as others. Don’t spend hours studying for a class that you know that you’ll do well in because you know the content like the back of your hand. Focus on classes that give you more issues and allocate longer study periods or dedicate more rigorous study habits to those classes. You don’t need to study an equal amount of time for each class, some classes you only need to glance over the professor-provided study guide beforehand, while others require weeks of consistent studying.

Make flashcards and study guides

Make fun and interesting flashcards and study guides. Use color, draw pictures and graphs, and use patterns when creating your study guides and flashcards in order to make them more engaging to make and use. You can check out these studyblrs for some inspo! And of course, you need to actually use the flashcards and study guides you make. Try to work on these at least a week before your exams so you can spend the rest of the days leading up to the midterms using them.

Take care of yourself

Sleep. Stay Hydrated. Shower. Eat. It’s so important to take care of yourself, especially during exam week. Don’t skip out on taking care of yourself because you think that you’ll lose time studying. You won’t be able to take in the information you’re studying or write coherent essays if you’re hungry or exhausted. Do yourself and your grades a favor by taking the time to eat and shower.

Don’t procrastinate

Just don’t. It may be enticing to take a three hour break because you “deserve it” after a long day of classes, but future you won’t appreciate that when you’re rushing to hand in your assignment on time or cramming the night before an important exam. Spread your studying out ahead of time and you’ll appreciate it later on.

Don’t waste time

Don’t spend five hours contemplating your essay prompt or going over a difficult concept over and over again. Time is super important, especially during exams week. If you have essay prompts to look over, immediately look at them once you get them and think about them while you’re on the bus and at the dining hall in the weeks leading up to the due date rather than the night before. During this time, also work on your other assignments and study for your other classes. This will allow you to write a cohesive and well-thought-out essay when you do sit down to write it rather than a sloppy incoherent one.

Take short, consistent breaks to break up long study sessions

Taking breaks is important during strenuous and excessive periods of studying. Aim to take 5-10 minute breaks rather than 30-minute breaks. Taking consistent but short breaks will keep you in a certain rhythm when you’re studying and allow you to take your eyes off your screen or textbook and breathe rather than suffocate yourself with studying.

Have meaningful study breaks

When you take those study breaks, make them as meaningful as possible. If you take 5-10 minute breaks, close your eyes and do some breathing exercises, stretch, wash your face, or eat a healthy snack (no junk food). If you decide to take a longer break, do some yoga poses, read a newspaper, exercise, or clean. Continuing to do productive activities will allow you to continue the rhythm that you already set as well as let you ease back into studying and working once your break is over.

Study with friends and classmates

Studying with friends and classmates can be one of the best ways to work towards writing a paper or break down a complex concept. Strong discussions give way to new and interesting perspectives on a single topic, giving way to ideas one can discuss in a paper. It’s also great to talk about concepts with your friends and classmates when it comes to studying because you can either get different explanations or ways of thinking about complex concepts or explain to and teach a friend or classmate about the concept.