Midterms Study Tips

Late January has snuck up on us, which means midterms are right around the corner. Almost every course will have an exam at the end of the first semester to assess how well you have learned the material. Over four days, students will take two midterms per day, each lasting two hours, in the order of their classes. For example, on Monday you will take your first- and second-period exams; on Tuesday, you will take your third- and fourth-period exams, and so on. These exams are worth six percent of your overall grade for a full-year course. As the time for these major tests approaches, people may wonder what the best way to study is to perform well. These periods can be stressful, so it’s important to maintain good study habits for major exams.

1. Don’t study everything at once. Focus on the most recent topics. People often try to study for all their exams at once, but that increases stress and leaves less time to focus on the material for the first upcoming exam. If your first- and second-period midterms are tomorrow, it is highly advisable to concentrate on those classes first; study the others when they come up.

2. Don’t procrastinate. Studying can be annoying—it's not usually fun—but it needs to be done. If you have trouble focusing, try having a small snack and use a fidget toy if that helps you avoid procrastinating.

3. Study the larger topics rather than only the small details. If your teacher emphasized several major lessons and repeatedly said things like “This is important; you may want to write it down” or “This may or may not be on your upcoming quiz” (which often means it will be on the test), it is highly recommended to review the big topics your teacher identified as important, as well as anything that appeared on previous tests for the class.