Midterm Madness—Your Zombie Midterm Survival Kit
1. When studying for more than one test, alternate subjects rather than bashing your head against the wall when the boredom sets in (because it will set in).
2. When reading those philosophy/theology books that are as purple as Barney but denser than a block of wood, try to underline the topic sentence of each paragraph—if you can find it. It’ll help you retain the information and clarify what all the wordiness is ultimately trying to say.
3. Tea is good. Coffee is better. Monsters the best. But if you drink too much, you’ll be too jittery to focus on anything. Likewise, there are these things called caffeine crashes that leave your brain feeling like mush. A pick-me-up is fine every once in a while, but don’t expect these jolts of energy to keep you up all night without side effects.
4. Study groups are beneficial. You get to discuss the material and through discussing the concepts, you’re reviewing them. Also, your peers can clarify the parts of the lecture where you were doodling instead of taking notes. However, keep on the conversation on topic or you might as well be watching dumb videos on Youtube. Good gossip can wait.
5. Despite common believes, professors (usually) do not have fangs, claws, or dead bodies in their trunk. All you really have to worry about is the PH.D. Syndrome and the Ego-Complexes so do not be afraid to email them questions or ask them to clarify things that you can’t make sense of.
6. It’s okay to take facebook breaks. But it’s not okay to stalk his profile for more than 20 twenty minutes. You have tests, missy!
7. Flashcards are not juvenile—assuming you don’t buy the neon colored ones.
8. Highlighters are tools to help you pick out important material—not a way for you to make rainbows in your books. If everything gets highlighted, what’s the point?
9. Cartooning—as in you drawing stick figures—is a useful technique for remembering historical figures, events, ect.
10. Google can be a resource, but not everything you find on the internet is true.
11. Find somewhere quiet to study. The fifth floor the library is nice—not only to study but to sleep.
12. Deep breathes. You’ll get through this. When you start to feel overwhelmed, call your mom, get lunch with your best friend, vent to your boyfriend—then get back to work.
13. Set that alarm clock. And double check it.
14. Make a calendar. Set goals. Don’t blow off your work.
Best of luck on your tests and papers, girls! Spring break will be here soon, but in the words of Dumbledore, “Dark and difficult times lie ahead. Soon we must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy.”