Study Tips For Midterm Exams
Exams can be a stressful time for all students, especially when you are trying to plan trips for the upcoming breaks. Knowing how to properly prepare for exams is the key to avoiding stress and acing every single one of your exams, not to mention saving lots of precious time. You may be overwhelmed with all the material you have to cover for your exams, but with a little knowledge you can study for them all and still have time to spare. Here are a few methods that will have you focused and better prepared for exams, without all the stress that comes with it.
- Skim: You may be tempted to open up your book and read every word of chapters that were covered in class. Don’t! This is a waste of time. Instead, focus on chapter headings, footnotes, study questions, and chapter reviews and summaries. The course syllabus is your best friend as the subjects listed there are probably the ones the professor deems most important.
- Don’t Cram: Say NO to cramming: (Cramming is when you try to study a lot of information in a short amount of time) Study in intervals! Studying in 20-50 minute increments and give yourself 5-10 minutes in between is more beneficial than cramming. Distributing learning over time typically benefits long-term retention more than a short period.
- Attend Review Sessions and Study Groups: You may be tempted to skip out on that review session or study group being held by your professor, but this could be a huge mistake. Most of the time, these study sessions cover the main exam topics, and professors usually let more than a few exam questions slip during these meetings.
- Enjoy the Silence: If you aren’t attending a study session, find a quiet place where you can stay focused and uninterrupted; the library, an empty classroom, the park. Your dorm room may seem like the most obvious place, but have a plan B ready for when the distractions hit (and they will).
- Disconnect from Technology: Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and email are all unnecessary distractions, so while studying, disconnect for an hour or so. You may be surprised at how much you can accomplish when technology doesn’t get in the way.
- Figure out what will be on the exam: No, this doesn’t require any mind reading abilities, but it does require you to listen and pay close attention to your professor. Ask as many questions as necessary, professors will usually try to help as much as they can.
- Meet with your Professors: Stop by office hours to discuss difficult concepts, ask questions about lecture material, or just to find out what types of topics the midterm will cover. You may be surprised at how much your professor is willing to share.
- Stay Healthy: During midterms, it’s easy to overindulge on junk food, up your caffeine intake, and basically suspend all personal hygiene (you won’t be interacting with anyone anyway) — never mind the fact that you have no time to make it to the gym. Don’t fall into this rut. Instead, schedule time for healthy meals and regular exercise, and don’t forget about that shower! You may just find that these breaks help you stay focused.
- Take Study Breaks: Consequently, a 12-hour marathon study session won’t do anything but make you crazy. Instead, take short breaks every hour or so, even if only for 10 minutes. Leave your study area when you do — that bit of fresh air may be just what you needed to clear your head.
- Exam Day: It’s finally here! Don’t let all of your hard work go to waste by rushing to class, cramming while on the walk there and confusing all the terms that you just spent all night learning. Relax, take a deep breath, use the restroom before you take your exam, make sure you have water or something to drink on you and go into the classroom with a clear mindset.
Follow these top ten tips, and you’ll be in a far better position to ace those exams than you could have imagined!