As we unwind from week nine here at UC Davis, we are in full swing and in our academic focus for week ten. For most students, primarily STEM students here at UC Davis, the two weeks before finals is a complete nightmare. They have back-to-back midterms, projects, and then finals. However, for me, as a design student, the last month of the winter quarter is somewhat of an easy breeze. The only midterm and final exam that I have to take is for my US Architecture class, AHI188b. But for most the month of March is extremely overwhelming and stressful.
There is never really a moment of relaxation or ways to unwind until it hits spring break in late March. As I began this winter quarter I realized that I was going to have to take a few exams, and I was quite nervous about this because I knew that I was not the best exam taker. I knew that if there was an option to either take an exam or write a paper I would always choose to write the paper. Through the trials and tribulations of midterm season, I found effective ways to study for myself and to really grasp and understand the knowledge to better prepare myself in order to take these exams. I was really troubled by the fact that I have never had to take a midterm here at UC Davis, so starting to study for my art history class was going to be a new skill I was going to learn. I was able to memorize key terms of building for this class by writing it on pen and paper and also through Quizlet. Once I felt comfortable with these terms, I turned to my whiteboard.
This method really helped me become successful when learning these and preparing myself for the midterm. The way that I like to unwind on the days that I have to study is by leaving the confines of my bedroom. I cannot unwind in the same location that I am studying, so if I rest for a moment on my bed I know for a fact that I will not study anymore until a few hours later. Knowing this about myself I chose to take breaks in my living room and whatever form I chose to relax in whether it is reading books, scrolling on my phone, listening to music, etc. I only allow myself a certain amount of time to do that—typically it is only about fifteen minutes. After those fifteen minutes are over I go back into my room and study once again.
This method, for me at least, allows me to not get distracted as easily and allows me to really focus on the necessary things for my exam. Although I am a design student and midterms are something that I typically do not have to worry about, learning how to study effectively was a process for me. I finally understood the difficulty and the stress of exams for other students and for that I am grateful for the experience.