It’s the most stressful time of the year…for us college students. It’s midterm week and majority of us are taking at least 15 credits. So,the average student may have all 5 exams in one week. Crazy right, I know! Midterm week for me is hell. I have part of my project due, three midterm exams, a paper and two quizzes. It’s not easy being a college student. Talk about a mental breakdown and a few phone calls to mom or dad about losing your sanity and wanting to dropout.
But don’t panic just yet! Well maybe panic a little, but after I give you these tips on how to survive midterm week and do well on your exams, life should be a tad bit easier. Here are some tips that I have gathered from my own way of studying along with tips from my colleagues and professors as well:
1. Keep up with your coursework. From day one, do your best to keep up with the course readings. By doing that, you won’t have to worry about cramming it in when midterm week comes along. If you do that, you won’t be as stressed. All you’d have to do when midterms come is review the material.
2. Stay calm. My main problem is freaking out about the exams that I have to take. I’m a junior and I still get anxious about exams. It’ s important to stay calm, cool and collected. If you’ve been going to class and listening to the professor and take notes, midterms shouldn’t be that stressful for you. If you do start to freak out, take a break and meditate, it works for me!
3. Go to office hours! I can’t reiterate how important it is to go to office hours to seek help from your professor. Many professors end up knowing who you are in the long run because you’ve took the time out and went to go seek help from them.
4. Find a study buddy. It divides up the amount of work that you would do if you were to do it by yourself. Plus, it’s really helpful studying with other people because you learn not only from your professor but get to understand how your classmates take in the information. You guys are basically teaching the information to each other!
5. Make flashcards or an outline. Both tools are useful when it comes to studying; you just need to pick the right method for you. I prefer making outlines for my exams but sometimes it will not work so then I’ll opt to making flashcards.
6. All-nighters. College students are known for pulling an all-nighter for exams. But to avoid from doing that every time you have an exam, look at your syllabus and start studying prior to the exam.
Good luck on your exams and stay sane! xoxo