One of the arguably scariest weeks of the semester is almost here: that week mid-semester when you lock yourself in your room or spend an eternity in the library studying. Midterm week, the second week of October, is about to arrive.
After seven weeks of attending lectures and learning, the time to get tested comes. Some students may be feeling the weight of midterm week.
“I think that midterms are really important because they take a big percentage of my final grade,” Katrina Wang, senior studio art major, said.
It’s true, according to Gail Levine, associate director of Tutoring and Testing.
“[For some classes] a midterm could be as much as 30 percent of your course grade,” she said.
Although midterms should be taken seriously, there is no need to panic. From time management to studying techniques, there are different ways to stop stressing and be ready for week eight.
Preparation for midterms takes time and should not be left for the day before the exam. Eric Householder, a professor from the Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography at NSU, recommended not to wait until the last minute to study. He also suggested that students review their notes every week so they won’t have to cram during midterms.
“Some students get a little panicked, I think, because they haven’t been keeping up with their assignments…we can’t panic. We have to form study groups. We can’t stress about midterms. We just have to know the right way to prepare ourselves for them,” Levine said.
Levine said students should be organized. Keeping up with classes is much more than attending lectures: it’s checking your syllabi on a regular basis, managing your study hours properly and revising your notes throughout the week.
Levine also said that students should use the Tutoring and Testing Center to get ready for midterms.
“When students are starting to review for a midterm and they identify the areas where they need some assistance, this is where our office comes in,” said Levine.
The Tutoring and Testing Center provides free tutoring for different areas you might need to reinforce, such as math, sciences, computer science and writing. They can also provide you with studying strategies to succeed on midterms. To set an appointment for tutoring, students can contact the front desk of the Tutoring and Testing Center at 954-262-8350. Students can go to the Office of Undergraduate Student Success as well. Academic success coaches are willing to help students set both academic and personal goals. Students can set an appointment with any success coach sending an email to studentsuccess@nova.edu.
According to Levine, students may have different ways to prepare for a midterm, but there is one thing all students have in common: weaknesses. We all have strengths and weaknesses, and some topics are easier to learn than others. Thus, in order to do well on our exams, reinforcing the weakest areas would be a good thing to do. Learning from mistakes made through the semester can be a good way to improve our performance on midterms.
“When I get a bad grade, I go to the professor and see what I need to improve, whether it be my writing style or the content of the material. Then using that information, I change the way I study for my midterms and finals to better my chances of getting a higher grade,” Michelle Ruiz, junior psychology major, explained.
Although studying is important, there are other factors you should consider while preparing for midterms. Going for a walk, exercising and getting some sleep helps to release the stress and perform better when the test comes, USA Today College recommended.
“I always go to yoga and the gym the week before and during midterm week. It helps me release the stress and also clears my mind. I consider that sleeping at least seven hours the night before the test is very important as well,” Jamie Freedman, junior legal studies major, said.
Individual, couple and group counseling are available. Some of the topics that can be addressed are academic concerns and career development, stress and time management, anxiety, depression and test and seminar anxiety. NSU part-time and full-time students receive ten free sessions per year. Although students can make appointments by calling to 954-424-6911, they can also walk in to see someone.
Some things might work better than others depending on each student. However, finding what works best for you is what matters. Try different techniques until you find your favorite ones. That way, midterm week might become less stressful every semester.
