Sadly, midterm season is here. It’s the time of year when you realize you really shouldn’t have missed those classes and skipped those assignments. Suddenly, sleep becomes inessential, coffee is your lifeline, and your notes seem as foreign to you as an ancient language.
Here’s your ultimate survival guide of five tips to crushing the exam season and fighting off those midterm scaries!
- Make a Productive Study Schedule
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Planning out your whole day or week may not sound like the most exciting activity, but during midterm season, it’s your secret weapon.
Create a relaxed yet effective study schedule. Allot time to study material for each class you’re taking, but also map out several mini-breaks to prevent burnout! These breaks can be for snacks, time on your phone, or simply stretching. Breaks can help you remain focused for the rest of your sessions.
It’s important to remember that midterms are exams, not the world’s greatest challenge. Schedule your study sessions so you can enter your exam rooms with confidence that you’ll ace everything and not pull all-nighters.
- Study with Buddies
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As you’ll quickly discover (or may have already), study groups in college are pure gold! When you come together to discuss notes from class where one brings flashcards, one explains that one topic you slept through, and another brings snacks, the whole study session becomes a team effort and will most likely lead you to success!
Together, you and your study group can share tricks, tips, and notes and even give each other a sense of moral support during midterm season. It’s always fun to celebrate surviving exams together! However, it’s important to remember to socialize and not spend all day stuck in the library.
- Celebrate Every Win (Even the Small Ones)
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Finally, as you’re nearing the end of your study sessions and midterm season as a whole, celebrate! This could be finishing an assignment, completing a task for the day, or even studying without getting distracted. Every win counts!
To power through your work, you can reward yourself for your wins! Treat yourself to a nice fall-themed coffee and treat, binge-watch your favorite TV show, or simply give yourself a well-earned break!
- Befriend Your Professor
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Although it may be intimidating to attend your professor’s office hours or even ask them a simple question at times, here’s the truth: they do like helping you, it’s what they’re there for!
Professors are pros at explaining confusing concepts. If they see your dedication, they’ll probably enjoy helping you even more! Make an effort to show up to class, allocate time to attend office hours, and even discuss what you find interesting.
Plus, you’ll feel like a total academic weapon when you’re picked to speak in next week’s discussion, cementing your newfound reputation as a genius.
- Hide Your Phone (Yes, Really!)
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For me, my phone is my number one distraction. Whether I’m working on a quick assignment that takes less than 20 minutes or a huge paper that’s due at the end of the week, I always find myself getting distracted by my phone, especially when it’s plain in sight.
The midterm season calls for drastic measures. Try your best to put your phone in a safe yet far away place. This could be under your seat, behind your computer, or in your backpack, as long as it’s anywhere out of reach.
Once you fully focus on your studying without your phone, you’ll undoubtedly forget about the distraction itself and cover much more ground in way less time. Without constant notifications grabbing your attention, you might find yourself truly learning the material!
Midterm season is not easy. Don’t feel discouraged if you’re struggling to get through it or don’t do as well as you hope on your exams. It’s a step-by-step process. So, leave burnout in the past and bring balance to the present with these tips and tricks for crushing this midterm season!
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