Preparing For Midterms
January 25, 2012 • Chelsea McDonnell
Filed under News
By Chelsea McDonnell
It’s that time of year again – midterms are right around the corner. January 26-31st, and I’m betting most of you haven’t started studying yet. I’ll admit that cramming the night before a test has been my specialty for the last four years. I’ve spend many nights attempting to reread the textbook and giving up by midnight. There’s a better way of doing things though. Why not take the time to get prepared?
Before the Test:
- Start with your study sheets. Your teachers gave them to you for a reason. They know more about what’s on your exam than you do, so start by reading over the lists and deciding what you remember the least.
- Prioritize. Which of your classes are the hardest? Which do you have to study for most? Study for your hardest exams first. Health doesn’t require nearly as much studying time as, say, Chemistry does.
- Get organized. Write on your calendar. Make to-do lists. Do whatever you need to do to figure out when you need to start studying. Start about a week before the exam date and spread everything out. Don’t forge to schedule in study breaks too, and take advantage of the weekend that splits up the exams.
- What type of learner are you? It helps to know the best way to go about studying. Visual learners: study notes and make flashcards. Auditory learners: say things out loud while you study; make up mnemonic devices. Kinesthetic learners: use hand motions and gestures to help recall information.
- Don’t stress and don’t cram. By the day of the exam, you either know it or you don’t.
On Test Day:
- Sleep well and eat a good breakfast. And don’t forget to bring a snack for the time in between exams.
- Come prepared. There’s nothing more annoying than hearing someone sharpen a pencil for five minutes straight during the exam.
- Read the instructions carefully.
- Narrow down your answers. Use the process of elimination. If you’re stuck between two answers, guess if you need to. Look for clues in other questions. When in doubt, use eeny, meeny, miny, moe.
- Review your test when you’re done.
Worst case scenario: you don’t do as well as you would have liked. You still have another semester to improve. Just be glad that you finished that that you’re one step closer to summer vacation!
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