Midterm season can be very stressful. You may have more than one midterm in a week, and your assignments never seem to pause so you can just focus on your midterms. These tips will help you tackle midterm season like a pro, whether you’re in first or fourth year.
Make a Study Schedule and Study in Chunks
As mentioned, in university, it’s pretty normal to have multiple midterms in a short period of time. Without a study schedule, it’s easy to focus on the midterm that comes first, neglecting the others. While this strategy works for some, I’ve always preferred to study a bit of each subject in small chunks each day. This helps me prioritize my time and make sure I am adequately prepared for all of my midterms, instead of just the one that comes first.
Look for Practice Exams
Practice exams are a great way to evaluate yourself and identify the areas that you may be struggling with, as well as identify how your professor typically forms their tests. Some professors may give out old midterms and exams, but if not, practice tests for the subject can often be found online. Once you’ve identified your weakest areas, you can focus more study time on reviewing those areas. Minute School has many online courses that explain concepts from a variety of subjects and practice questions that can help you assess your understanding of these concepts.
Ask for Help
Your professors and teaching assistants have office hours that you can attend to ask questions about course concepts you are struggling with. As well, many upper year students don’t mind giving a few pointers on courses they have taken previously. Don’t be afraid to ask your friends and friends of friends for help.
Get Some Sleep!
If you take only one of these tips into consideration, make it this one. Sleep is extremely important when it comes to preparing for exams. Resting your brain reduces your stress levels and helps information stick in your brain. Don’t stay up until 2am when you have a midterm at 8:30am, or you won’t remember the information you studied. The night before, try to focus on testing your knowledge of information you already know. A good night’s sleep means you’ll be more concentrated during your exam, and likely do much better on it.
Don’t Fall Behind In Your Other Courses
Midterms can make it easy to forget about other assignments and projects in your other courses. It’s important to not let the stress of midterms make you forget about your other courses. Stay organized with a study schedule or calendars, and set phone reminders if you need to. I usually prefer to complete all my assignments in advance, even if they are due after a midterm, so as soon as my midterms are over, I know I have nothing to worry about.
Take Care of Yourself
Taking care of yourself can mean different things for different people. Take study breaks, don’t live off of junk food, and schedule some time in your busy study schedule just relax. Your health and wellness are key.
I hope these tips help you successfully get through this midterm season. Don’t forget to study hard, stay organized, and take care of yourself.