Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Midterm Study Tips

As much as midterms stink in reality they are a great way to make sure you have your ducks in a row and are successful come finals. I always think back to freshman year when I thought midterm just signaled the middle of the term since none of my professors scheduled tests during this time. Wow was I wrong! Every semester since I've always had a lot of assignments and tests during midterm. A positive about spring semester midterms? It always seems to happen a week or two before Spring Break so at least there is a light at the end of the tunnel!


I have included some tips that I try to keep in mind when studying for midterms with hopes that they will assist some of you at the same point in the semester! 

FIND A FOCUSED ATMOSPHERE
If you ask any of my friends they will make fun of me for how much I love the library and how picky I am about where I sit in there. I tend to focus best when my space is clean, quiet, and structured so the library is a no brainer for me! If I try to study in my room I am bound to get distracted so going ahead and setting myself up to study in a place where I know I'll be focused is crucial.

TAKE BREAKS
Sometimes when you think about studying you think about doing as much as you can in the most efficient amount of time. Personally that never works out as well as I'd like for it to! Taking breaks to get up and move around are important so be sure that you're stopping at least once an hour and hopefully you'll come back more focused than before!

TEST YOURSELF
Midterms for me are almost always tests (you paper people are lucky ducks). The best way to ensure that I actually know the information I am trying to learn is by testing myself. This is a great way to familiarize yourself with the content in a similar way that it will be presented to you. I swear by testing myself on quiz let by creating flashcards and am notorious for using their app on my phone when walking to class. Come finals you'll thank yourself because you'll already have half of the information ready to be studied in this way. 

READ ALL OF YOUR NOTES
While yes textbooks are important the notes you take in class are a great way to see which information your teacher is prioritizing and what you may need to study more! 

STAY POSITIVE
It is so easy to get bogged down in the stress of testing and grades. I am definitely guilty of this more frequently than I would care to admit. I always try to remind myself that no matter how much I may have to do I always find a way to get it done which usually puts things into a more positive perspective for me! 

AVOID DISTRACTIONS
Friends, your phone, and ever what the squirrels are doing outside of the library window can be distracting depending on how boring or uninteresting the material you are studying is. If you find yourself easily distracted by your computer and the wealth of knowledge waiting to be explored on the internet then try out the Self Control app. The same thing goes for your phone, give it to a friend or promise yourself to only check it during breaks! 

GET SOME SLEEP
I am not always the best about this one either… Sleeping enough before an exam or any test will have you more alert come time to actually take the assessment. While 8 hours is more than ideal I tend to settle for six. I'll work on that too!

SURROUND YOURSELF WITH MOTIVATED PEOPLE
If your friends have no midterms or homework and are bored and decide to come with you to the library I can nearly guarantee that they will be a distraction for you. Instead, choose to sit and surround yourself with friends who are there to get stuff done and are determined to be productive that way you will hopefully be eager to do the same!

What are your best midterm study tips? Good luck to all of you taking tests in the coming weeks!
One down today and two to go tomorrow! 

5 comments :

  1. These are some great tips! I will use these when final times come around (I only have 3 more weeks until the end of the quarter and Spring Break!)

    girl C
    https://fromgirlc.wordpress.com/

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am in my senior year of high school dual-enrolling to take college classes, and this helped a lot, thank you!! I just have to keep spring break in mind

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  3. I love this post, Dorothy! So helpful for busy school weeks!

    xoxo,
    Katie
    chicincarolina.blogspot.com

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