It’s that time of year again when the crisp fall air has arrived and the leaves are beginning to turn vibrant colors and… you’re stuck inside, studying. Every exam in college has its own nuances and difficulties but midterms are their own breed of tests. They always land right before a break so your mind is off dreaming about tropical vacations, and sometimes midterms can even be the first assessment you have received in a class which presents its own challenges. Stressed? Overwhelmed?
Here are seven tips to help you prepare:
1. Sleep
As much as you might just want to live in the library for eternity and study until your exams come around; don’t. Sleep is the secret hero that is going to help you remember everything. Now, I’m no doctor or scientist, but I do know that your mind does all of its processing during the night when your sleeping. In order for all your cramming to actually make an impact, make sure you get a good night’s rest each night of exam week!
2. Eat Well
As easy as it is to just snack on sweets and junk food while you’re flipping through your textbooks, make time for three solid meals a day. Your mind and body run on protein, carbs, and all the other good nutrients you get from breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you want your memory to be working at peak capacity, you have to make sure it has all the right fuel. Eat right!
3. Move
When you get in the zone it is hard to disengage for fear of losing your concentration. However, it is important that you don’t sit in one spot for three or four hours at a time. Keep all the juices flowing by periodically standing up and going for a quick walk, even if it’s just to the water fountain. Your mind and body work together, so make sure both of them are active when studying!
4. Take Breaks
Your mind can only focus for so long. Expecting it to be able to intake and process information efficiently for huge stretches of time isn’t exactly reasonable. Your mind is kind of like a car: if you leave the engine running for too long, it’ll overheat. To prevent this, try giving your mind a break every hour or so, and take 10 minutes to look at something else.
5. Get Help
If you are struggling with a topic and can’t seem to figure it out, don’t feel bad about asking for help! Ask a friend, make a study group, or go to your professor’s office hours. As much as you might want to sit and figure it out on your own, sometimes working with someone else can make the process go faster and help you remember it better for the exam!
*Pro Tip: Trying to explain a concept to someone else is a good indicator of your own understanding. If you can teach someone else, then you’ve got it down!
6. Slow Down
Midterms can have your brain going at 7500 miles an hour. You have 341 things to do/study and only 3.632 hours to do it and suddenly you’re spiraling and just staring at your notes reading the same sentence over and over. If this happens, stop yourself, make a list of what you need to do, and take everything one step at a time. Break everything into tiny chunks; take it one page at a time, one problem at a time, one paragraph at a time. This will yank your mind out of that downward spiral and instead, force it to focus on the task at hand
7. Be Positive
This is one of the most important tips that I can offer. Thinking negatively can affect your self-confidence. If you think that you can’t do it, then there is a greater chance that thought process will make you doubt yourself on the exam. Go into the test believing in yourself and trusting that you know the material.
Still dreading those midterms? I get it. Just try and put these 7 simple tips into practice and hopefully your stress will be lifted (even if only slightly). And if you’re still stressin’, just remember they’ll be over before you know it
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