Midterms Have Entered the Chat: How to Lock In Before It’s Too Late

Raise your hand if every day you open your planner and sigh. One minute we were buying overpriced posters at the Schine Student Center and soaking up the last warm days on the Quad, and now midterms are right around the corner.

Don’t panic. Whether you’ve been a flawless student since syllabus week or you’re just now finding out your class has a textbook, here’s how to get your head back in the game.

1. Make a Plan (A Real One, Not Just for Aesthetics)

Open every syllabus and jot down every exam, paper and project due in the next few weeks. Almost like a brain dump. Then, put them in one place; like your phone calendar or a notes app. Seeing it all at once is scary for about five minutes. But once you have everything organized, it feels so much better than getting surprised by a quiz you forgot existed.

Then work backwards to prepare. If your exam is on a Thursday, plan short daily study sessions starting the week before, instead of one giant all-nighter on Wednesday.

2. Stop Rereading Your Notes (Sorry!)

This one hurts, but science says it. In a review of study techniques, Dunlosky and colleagues (2013) found that rereading and highlighting were some of the least helpful ways to study. The winners? Quizzing yourself and spreading your studying out over time.

Roediger and Karpicke (2006) found that students who practiced recalling information remembered more of it later than students who just read over it again. So, make flashcards, cover your notes and explain the topic out loud or have your roommate quiz you. If you can say it without looking, you might actually know it.

3. Have a Hard Time Studying? Try the Pomodoro Technique

Getting started is always the hardest part. Set a 25-minute timer and study until the timer goes off. Then take a five-minute break. This is called the Pomodoro Technique, invented in the late 1980s by Francesco Cirillo and named after the Italian word for tomato. The idea is simple: work for a short stretch, take a break and then do it again. And if you find yourself wanting to keep going when the timer rings, even better! 

4. Find a Good Study Spot 

Your bed is for sleeping, not studying. Switch it up and find a place that puts you in focus mode. Bird Library is a classic, and you can pick your floor based on how quiet you need it. Carnegie Library is a good choice if you want to feel like you’re at a big library in New York City. And if a little background noise helps you think, try a coffee shop on Marshall Street. 

5. Use the Help That’s Available to You (And Free)  

You don’t have to figure out everything on your own. The Center for Learning and Student Success (CLASS) offers group tutoring for tough intro courses, individual tutoring for smaller and advanced classes and academic coaching sessions where a trained student helps you with time management, study strategies and procrastination.

Also, go to office hours. Your professors want to see you there. Ask questions, especially if there’s something you’re still trying to understand. Asking, “What should I focus on for the exam?” is a totally normal question!

6. Remember, One Exam Doesn’t Define You

If the semester has gotten away from you, that’s OK. You won’t stay behind forever. Midterms are a checkpoint, not the finish line. Pick one class to focus on today, do one small thing and build from there.

So, grab your flashcards, charge your laptop and find your spot in Bird Library. You’ve got this, Orange. Let’s lock in.

Written By Ava Swidler ’27, College of Arts and Sciences

Syracuse University Libraries

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