Midterms are arguably one of the worst times throughout the semester. It adds unnecessary stress on us students who have only been here for less than two months, and now we are being tested on everything that we have learned so far. Back when I was a freshman, midterms scared me so much. I thought that they were going to be on my transcript and affect my grades for the rest of the semester. As a Junior, I now have the hang of things and have a routine for when midterms come around to help me stay calm before and after!
Grades
Midterms are not actually in the middle of the academic term. Most of my classes have them in a span of about three weeks, which can be stressful. This being said, if your grade isn’t what you wanted it to be during midterms, don’t stress! There are many different opportunities to bring up your grade that isn’t a test at the beginning of the year!
Test Anxiety
Personally, I have always struggled with test anxiety. It doesn’t matter what the subject is or how hard I’ve studied, I still get anxious and blank when the paper is in front of me. I make sure to remind myself that what I’m about to take is only a test, and it can’t physically hurt me. (I know it sounds weird, but it works!)
Self Care
This year has been extra difficult from transitioning from hybrid to fully in-person. I know I’m not the only one who feels this way, going back into “normal” school is hard! It’s weird not being able to wake up 3 minutes before class and just sign on for the day. Make sure to take time for yourself and also check up on your friends to make sure that everyone is not only handling the transition well, but also midterms. My favorite thing to do is walk around campus and the surrounding neighborhood. Especially since the weather has been nice, and to take time for myself to relax and reflect!
Review and Corrections
When midterms get returned, it can be stressful and sometimes disheartening to see the answers that you got wrong. My best advice is to see the professor during office hours and ask them about what you did wrong and what you can do better next time. I know this seems like common sense because most professors often encourage you to go to office hours, but after midterms is such an important time to go! It can help you with finals in the future, knowing what you got wrong, and then going back to the professor and correcting it.
I hope these tips can give you ideas on how to handle this stressful time! You got this!!
HCXO