Terminate your Midterms!

Well it’s that time of year again folks! Reading week is coming to an end and you all know what that means…midterms (*sigh*). Hopefully you’ve all been relaxing but also using your time wisely and studying for classes, catching up on readings, starting assignments. I’ve always found this time of year to be crucial for success in a course because often times being on track with course work during midterms will help you from falling behind for the last start of the semester. Also, many final exams are cumulative so studying well for your midterm will help you do well and understand the course material better for the final! Here are some tips to help you be successful during midterms :)

 Time Management

I’m a strong believer in slow and steady wins the race. What does this mean? It means that taking the time to study little by little for an exam each day over a long period of time is far more beneficial to your understanding of course material and as a result, doing well on a midterm. Ideally it’s best to start studying for your midterm two weeks in advance. I know what you’re thinking; “Two weeks?! Souraiya, I don’t have time for that! I have to do homework, attend to family obligations and play Flappy Bird in that time (curse you Flappy Bird!!)”. To you I say, hold your horses! I’m not suggesting you go full on day and night study mode two weeks in advance to your exam; a lecture or even half a lecture a day worth of review will help you retain the information longer and do well in an exam.

    Study Setting

You know best how you study; whether it’s individually or with a group of classmates or friends. I’ve found that a lot of times I enjoy studying with my friends or classmates to keep me motivated but to be honest; we got off task from studying pretty quickly when we did study together. As a result, I found that I needed to take the initiative to reframe my own way of studying by sitting on my own to study but have my friends somewhere in the vicinity (whether it be the library, a study space, someone’s house) in case I had questions to ask them. Of course, this is my personal experience. You may find that you and your friends study great together! Whatever the case, be aware of choosing a study setting that works for you.

  Take Care of Yourself

Taking care of your well-being is something that students often forget to do during midterms. It’s understandable to get caught up in the stress of constantly studying and forgetting to sleep at a decent hour or forgetting to eat in a healthy manner (translation: no pizza for a whole week straight) because you’ve got school on your mind. But be careful, just because you have a lot of school work piling up isn’t an excuse to forget to live a healthy lifestyle. Eat well, take a run to clear your head, sleep before midnight and wake up at a decent time in the morning. Taking care of yourself is the first step in achieving success!

Good luck,

Souraiya