Gabby Grant is an assistant director in the Office of Undergraduate Student Success
Midterms are right around the corner. Here are 10 tips to help you prepare.
Make a Schedule. Look up times and dates of your upcoming midterms, write them down in your planner and set reminders in your smartphone.
Use “backwards planning.” Backwards planning is a system of working with the end in sight. Plan by always thinking ahead. For example, if you have a test in two weeks, ask yourself what are you doing each day from now until two weeks. Work on creating a study schedule that breaks down the material into sections and study in intervals.
Do not cram. Research shows cramming is ineffective. Instead, you should use a system that spreads out your study hours over the course of a week. Can you cram running or going to the gym and find positive results? The same concept works for studying. Hours spread over the course of time is more effective than many hours in one day.
Use old tests and assignments to assist in studying for each midterm. Make sure you are clear on areas that were confusing or problems or questions you missed previously.
Create a study group. Study groups can help with procrastination and help you understand information more efficiently while gaining different perspectives. In addition, study groups can help develop new study skills, minimize test anxiety and expand your professional network.
Go to the Tutoring and Testing Center for tutoring assistance if needed.
Talk about the material. Writing and reading is the first step, but discussing the material helps comprehension and will stick in your memory. An old Latin proverb explains this concept best: “By learning you will teach. By teaching you will understand.”
Meet with your faculty prior to the midterm to discuss any confusion about the material or midterm format.
Get some sleep and eat a good breakfast before taking morning midterms.
Each day during midterm week, find a little time to take some deep breaths and relax.
