Midterm season can seem daunting, especially if it’s your first one! Making sure you’re prepared for midterms can help eliminate any extra stress and anxiety you may feel about your upcoming projects and exams. Here are five ways you can ensure you’re fully prepared to give midterms your best effort!
1. Create a Schedule
First and foremost, make sure you know exactly when all of your midterms are! Create a calendar that tells you when each midterm is happening so you can plan accordingly. Then, create a study schedule based around your midterms, as well as other classes and commitments you may have. Blocking out time dedicated to studying for midterms can help you to focus on the task at hand. Within each study session, make sure to note which classes you intend to study for. By planning out your time, you can help effectively manage the stress of midterm week!
2. Find Your Favorite Study Spot
With so many study spots on campus, it can be overwhelming to choose where to go, but we can help you narrow it down!
If you’re thinking that hunkering down in a library might be a good call, there are two main libraries on campus: Bird Library and Carnegie Library. Each has its own unique vibe and atmosphere. If you’re looking for a Hogwarts aesthetic and dead silence, Carnegie Library is your spot! But if you want more relaxed vibes with a variety of seating options, accompanied by a little noise, Bird Library is the place for you.
Apart from the libraries, there are a bunch of other different places to study on campus. Newhouse’s Food.com provides a fun, relaxed study vibe, and it has a few restaurants to choose from if you need a bite to eat as you study! If you’re looking for somewhere that feels a little more academic, head to the basement of the Maxwell building. There you’ll find a large study space with classic wooden tables, individual study rooms and even more Hogwarts vibes. But if you don’t want to go far from home, check out the study lounges or common areas in your residence hall—sometimes convenience is the most important thing!
3. Figure Out Your Best Study Method
Not everybody studies the same way—discovering which method or technique works best for you will help you actually retain the material you’re studying and do your best on the exam. One commonly used method is the Pomodoro Method. Developed by Franscesco Cirillo in the 1980s, the Pomodoro Method states that you should study for 25 minutes, then take a five-minute break. Repeat this four times, and then take a 30-minute break.
Active recall is another great study method, proven to help strengthen your memory of the information being studied. Active recall requires you to pull information from memory— without just reading your notes!—to see what you can remember, rather than passively reading a textbook or notes. Forms of active recall include study questions, flashcards or the Feynman Technique. The Feynman Technique is when you teach or explain a topic to another person as a way to help you remember it and test what you know. While active recall may seem more difficult than just passively reading notes, it strengths your brain and memory in the long run!
4. Attend Tutoring Sessions With CLASS
Familiarizing yourself with the tutoring and academic support resources on campus is a great way to make sure you’re prepared and confident in the material being covered in your classes. The Center for Learning and Student Success (CLASS) offers free group tutoring services as well as paid individual sessions. Check out the group tutoring calendar to see what classes have sessions and when they’re happening. You can also schedule an appointment with an academic coach to help discuss test-taking strategies and study techniques. Remember, tutoring and academic support is for all students—don’t be afraid to ask for help!
5. Prioritize Your Health
Exam seasons can be stressful, but it’s important to make sure that stress doesn’t cause harm to both your physical and mental health. Getting into good habits like going for walks and taking study breaks to relax can help prevent deterioration in your mental or physical health.
If you’re finding that your stress levels are getting a little hard to handle, the Barnes Center at The Arch offers same-day mental health and counseling appointments. But extreme stress can also affect your physical health, not just your mental health! If you’re feeling sick, the Barnes Center also offers health care appointments. Don’t let exam stress get in the way of prioritizing and taking care of your health!
While midterms can feel intimidating, if you’re prepared and maintain a good mindset, you’ll do fine! Be kind to yourself, work diligently, strive for excellence and set yourself up for success. Remember, test scores don’t define you, but you should always try your best. Good luck!
Written By Mirren Grimason ’29, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs