It\u2019s almost that time again: midterm season! Now that we\u2019ve reached the midpoint of the semester, it\u2019s important to make sure you\u2019re ready to tackle upcoming exams, assignments and everything else coming your way during the second half of classes. Not sure exactly how to do that? No worries \u2014 I\u2019ve compiled a list of the most important steps to take before midterms so you don\u2019t have to.<\/p>\n
First thing\u2019s first\u2014you should go through your syllabi and identify all of those midterm exam and assignment dates. Even if some are a couple weeks away, start carving study time out of your schedule now. Dedicating an hour or less each day to studying will help you retain the course information more easily and therefore feel better prepared for your exam. You\u2019ll also feel a lot less stressed when it\u2019s midterm week because you won\u2019t have to cram everything into those last few days. If you\u2019re having trouble studying alone, the Center for Learning and Student Success (CLASS) offers group tutoring sessions<\/a> throughout the semester, even when it\u2019s not an exam week.<\/p>\n Sometimes the hardest part of studying is figuring out how in the world you\u2019re going to get started. Here\u2019s a couple examples to choose from:<\/p>\n Look back at your prior assessments. Try to identify what was difficult for you in those assignments and take note of what you can improve on for the midterm. If you know there\u2019s a specific topic you just can\u2019t seem to grasp, raise a question about it during your next lecture. If you don\u2019t feel comfortable speaking up during class, make a plan to visit your professor or TA during office hours. Asking questions early on will help you use your study time more efficiently.<\/p>\n Take this time to get all of the gear you need ready for test day. Make sure you\u2019ve got new batteries in your calculator, double-check that your computer is updated and won\u2019t randomly shut down mid-exam, and refill your pen or pencil supply if you\u2019re taking your assessments in-person. If you\u2019ve had technology problems throughout the semester, now\u2019s the time to stop putting off that visit to the ITS Service Center\u2014make an in-person appointment<\/a>, call them at 315.443.2677, or send an email at help@syr.edu.<\/a><\/p>\n It\u2019s normal to feel stressed going into midterms, but it\u2019s important not to let that stress overwhelm you. Remember to take regular breaks as you study and be patient with yourself if things start to feel difficult. If you need tips on how to manage exam anxiety or curb procrastination, check out the Barnes Center and CLASS\u2019s new Mindfulness Workshops<\/a>. The Barnes Center also has many other resources, both virtual and in-person, to encourage students to be active<\/a> and mindful<\/a>. You can pick and choose the resources that best help you practice self-care.<\/p>\n If you were feeling a bit lost on what you should do now that we\u2019re approaching midterms, hopefully this checklist has helped you figure it out. Giving each of these steps a try will certainly place you in the best position to be successful this semester and take the rest of your coursework in stride. And remember that in spite of this year\u2019s challenges, you\u2019ve made it to this moment. Congratulations, and let\u2019s keep pushing forward, Orange Nation!<\/p>\n Written by Dakota Chambers \u201922, College of Arts and Sciences\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It\u2019s almost that time again: midterm season! Now that we\u2019ve reached the midpoint of the semester, it\u2019s important to make sure you\u2019re ready to tackle upcoming exams, assignments and everything else coming your way during the second half of classes. Not sure exactly how to do that? No worries \u2014 I\u2019ve compiled a list of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":319,"featured_media":2065,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,34],"tags":[40,71,72,85,127,84,70,88,86,82],"class_list":["post-2063","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-and-wellness","category-student-success","tag-barnes-center","tag-center-for-learning-and-student-success","tag-class","tag-exams","tag-its","tag-midterms","tag-mindfulness","tag-productivity","tag-tips","tag-wellness-leadership-institute"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/the-peel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2063","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/the-peel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/the-peel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/the-peel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/319"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/the-peel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2063"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/the-peel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2063\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2066,"href":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/the-peel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2063\/revisions\/2066"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/the-peel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2065"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/the-peel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2063"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/the-peel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2063"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/experience.syracuse.edu\/the-peel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2063"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Identify the best study techniques for you.<\/h2>\n
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Gather your professors\u2019 feedback so far.<\/h2>\n
Get all of your test-taking materials in order.<\/h2>\n
Check in with yourself!<\/h2>\n