5 Tips for Midterms
Midterms are a time of increased stress and anxiety as the students of all–nighters are worried if they will pass and the people that studied before that time are worrying if some of the questions on the study guide will be on the test. This makes students wonder what kinds of tips and tricks they can use to either pass midterms or get good grades on midterms. Here are five of them.
Tip 1:
Try to break studying down into short time periods. In a video by Asap Science on YouTube they say to “break it into 20 30-minute study sessions over a few weeks.” If you think about it your brain needs to take the information in gradually. According to Matthew J Ellund, writer for Psychology Today, his advice is “Take breaks or you’ll make mistakes.” This holds true as when you take a break you are better at processing the material and remembering it.
Tip 2:
According to Study.com they say you should “Take it one test at a time.” The problem students face is that they could have anywhere from one to three midterms on a specific day. The way students can overcome this is knowing what day and time each exam is and finding out how much time you have until your next exam.
Tip 3:
Make Flashcards or study guides. Daisy Rogozinsky from Study.com did an article on “6 Tips For Acing your Midterms” and in it she states that “If your professors don’t give you study guides, ask for them or make them on your own.” You can make your own set of flashcards or study guides on Quizlet or you can get some flashcards from home and write down what you need to know. Rogozinsky then says that you can “Turn your study guides into checklists and make sure that you can honestly check off each individual concept as something you’ve just mastered.”
Tip 4:
Teach the concepts. While you might say to yourself “Wait, why do I have to do that? I’m not a teacher or instructor” it does help. Asap Science claims there was a study done where half of participants were tested on the material and half were told that they were supposed to teach it to other students. The ones who taught it knew how to understand the main points. This makes sense as when we teach it to someone or ourselves there is always room to improve.
Tip 5:
Make sure you get enough rest, stay hydrated, and try to reduce stress. Do whatever helps you unwind. Talk to your friends or roommates, go for a walk, go to the gym, listen to music or watch YouTube videos. There you are thinking of midterms and you are becoming stressed out so you start to skip your regular bedtime. Little did you know the day of midterms you feel exhausted and you feel thirsty. According to Rogozinsky, “You want to be as physically, emotionally, and mentally healthy as possible when you sit for your midterms so that you can really concentrate on the task at hand: getting those As.“ This makes sense as when you are feeling your best you will be more confident and will not second guess your answers.
