As midterms creep closer, I have found myself getting tremendously nervous. It can feel suffocating when midterms start piling up along with projects and homework. It can be daunting to face your midterms knowing you are on a time crunch.
Here are a few tips on how to tackle midterms that will help you feel a little less stressed.
Plan Ahead
It can be easy to focus on the closest midterm coming up and to ignore the rest. However, make sure to divide your time and do a little to prepare for each exam. Pull out your planner and put it to use by scheduling time to devote to each exam a few days before you have to take them.
Midterms have a way on sneaking up on us even if we were warned weeks ahead of time. It’s all about the keeping track of what’s coming up and what you can do to prepare.
Look Into Outside Resources
It’s easy to say that you’re going to study, but are you studying in the best way? All of us have had the experience of looking over notes for hours and remembering nothing.
To improve the efficiency of your studying, try looking at activities that reinforce concepts. Take a look at the study guide your professor provides or attend a study session with some of your classmates.
Short on time? Look into crash course videos. Educational videos are all over and many are from reliable sources with high ratings. One of my favorite study tools is Khan Academy, which helps to reteach concepts in a new way to make it easier to understand the material.
You’ve probably seen your professor show a few videos in class. Try asking them where some of their favorite videos come from for studying use.
As a student, you can not always grasp material as quickly and effectively as you would like. It is important to keep pushing and find a new way of learning that works for you.
Set Alarms
We could all use a little motivation during long hours of studying. Setting alarms to remind yourself to stay on task is a great way to keep yourself accountable.
Sometimes your friend sends you a TikTok or the next episode of your favorite show comes out. Or, you may even be tempted to take a trip downtown for a Shamrock Shake. All of this is fine in moderation, but alarms can pull you right back into reality, especially if you label then with goals.
Set up expectations over what should be accomplished by each point and hold yourself accountable if you don’t meet those goals. If you do meet them, it’s a good excuse to reward yourself for a job well done.
Take Care of Yourself
One of the most important things to do when studying is to stay mindful. Try not to overwhelm yourself with material. Stay on top of your studying and prep work, but keep in mind that you are human and you can’t study for hours on end without a break.
Midterms are a stressful time and it’s important to keep pushing, but remember to be kind to yourself. Spacing things out is a productive way to keep you from feeling burnt out.
When you’re positive and motivated from sleeping eight hours a night, you are much more likely to be able to push through the day. Enjoy those self-care moments when you can put the books down and take time to recharge.
When you put in the time and the work to succeed, it makes it more worthwhile to reward yourself.
Stay confident
Midterms can feel daunting, but remember to take a deep breathe. It may take some extra effort but it will all be worth it in the end. Once they’re all over, you can take time to celebrate all that you have accomplished.