Midterms are finally here and so is the stress that comes with it. Going to an art college means that midterms for us can range from the classic paper and pencil tests, to more creative assignments. Regardless of what it is that you’re trying to deal with this quarter, HerCampus is here to help dish out some tips that have gotten me through this week.
As someone who is taking two classes this quarter that are very different from another, it’s been a struggle to figure out how to prepare for them.
My first class of the day is Photo History I. Anyone who’s ever taken any kind of history classes probably knows how these go. As interesting as the material that we have to cover is, it always feels like you’re swamped in a sea of artist names, piece dates and their titles. This always stresses me out and makes me wonder how I’m going to retain so much information!
This year I was lucky enough to be taking this class with my closest friends here. Naturally that meant that the night before our midterm Wednesday, we all got together for a fun sleepover study sesh! Now ideally, it’s probably be better to start studying and meet ahead of time way prior to the night before, but with everyone’s hectic schedules, you kind of just have to meet when you can. Also, it’s important to get together with folks who have been attentive in class or that you know have taken good notes so you can fill in the gaps on information any of you may be missing. Fortunately, our professor had posted a list of key ideas to consider as well as a slew of images from which our test would be comprised of, giving us the perfect basis for our study materials. From this, we made sets of flashcards to use to quiz each other from – I honestly haven’t made flashcards since high school but they really helped! And we all chimed in with little sayings or acronyms to help us remember anything from dates to names. The catchier they were, the easier they were to recall during the exam!
Aside from just being prepared content wise, I think it’s also important to make sure that you’re surrounded with people who you enjoying around. Not only do they make studying more fun, but honestly, it’s so hard to be stressed out and unhappy when you’re in the company of your friends.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the other class that I’m taking is abstract painting. All of our assignments are loosely given so that they only provide general parameters for what our assignments are to be, but are open enough to really let us take the reins on what exactly we want to say and how. A lot of times this quarter, I’ve found myself struggling to think like an abstract artist. Seeing as to how I have a huge break in between both classes, I usually opt for heading over to the library and hang out there. Often times if I’m having artist’s block, I look up images from the greats and do a little research on what it is about their work that made it so remarkable. This often leaves me with things to consider, techniques to explore, or questions to ask when I get to class.
When it comes to actually working in the space, I’ve found that it’s super helpful to trust your instincts. For the times you are unsure, it also helps to consult with someone – peers and professors alike! Mine always gives me things to consider and waking around and looking at my peers’ work helps me clear my head and see different perspectives of how we’re all interpreting the same assignment.
All in all, trust that if you put in the effort, you’ll do fine.