When attending college, students quickly learn that two major exams define each semester: midterms and finals. Midterms are mid-semester exams that every student must take, that assess how well you have grasped the material covered from the beginning up until this point. For some students, these exams come with ease if they are good test takers and only need to look over their material just a few times to prepare. However, if you’re like me, exams can be overwhelming, no matter how important they are. A lot of students usually burn out while trying to study for midterms. In this article, I will share four practical tips for preparing for midterms that can ease your nerves, prevent burnout, and will ensure you are set for success.
FIRST, make sure to take good notes throughout the first half of the semester. Your notes do not have to be word-for-word. It should be the most important thing your professor has reviewed, or in your own words, so that it helps you understand better. This can ensure that you understand the material and can be able to identify if given an example.
SECOND, you should study at least two weeks in advance. Most students wait until it’s the weekend before midterms. This can cause them to become burned out from trying to study for all their classes at once. It’s best to designate a day of the week for each class. This will give you enough time to go over everything you need.
THIRD, dedicate at least two hours each day to studying for these classes, and set a clear goal for what you want to accomplish during each session. Free some time on your schedule so that you can strictly study. This goal can be “do ten example problems today.” Turn off your notifications and go to a quiet area. That way, you can sit down and study without any interruptions.
FOURTH, get enough sleep at night. A lot of students make the mistake of staying up all night studying for these exams. In the moment, it feels like the best option, but it is not. It can cause you to not retain the information you just reviewed. It could cause you to struggle with your concentration, which can lead to mistakes being made on the exam. Lastly, it can cause your motivation to drop. All you will think about is catching up on sleep that you lost, and you will no longer think about the exam at hand.
All in all, if you can do these four steps to prepare for your midterms, it will ensure a passing grade and will least likely cause you to burn out. Remember to take care of your mental health when handling exams, and you will do great!