With fall comes beautiful new colors on the trees around campus, colder weather, pumpkin spice lattes at your favorite coffee shops, and something equally as scary as the haunted houses you’ll go to: midterms! As a freshman, I had little to no previous exposure to this frightening topic. So far in my college career I’ve taken a few midterms, though I can’t claim I’m an expert. Here are some things I’ve learned along the way that may help you, whether you are a midterm veteran or newbie.
1. Organization is key.
Coming from a stationery lover and total organization freak, my planner and Google calendars are my best friends. I found it really helpful to use them to plan out when my big midterms were to avoid unnecessary stress. You’d rather know if you have two midterms on one day a month in advance rather than a few days before.
2. Find a good place to study.
The UW-Madison campus is a big place with many nooks and crannies for studying if your room isn’t an option. I definitely studied in my room, although a nice break of fresh air to study outside or take a walk to a library was highly beneficial. I definitely underestimated the libraries, and I know I’m not in the minority. To those of you out there who haven’t checked out at least one library on campus, go! They’re a valuable resource and each has its own special charm so you will be able to find one you like. Maybe one is even like your favorite Disney princess.
3. Studying is not just re-reading your notes.
In high school, it was really easy to get away with this minimal effort form of review, but in college it’s a whole other ball game. My psychology professor told the story of a freshman who did poorly on their first psychology exam because they only studied the way they had in high school. If they had instead tried a strategy, such as telling a story about the material out loud to themselves, they might’ve done better. Different techniques work for different people, so you just need to find one that works for you.
4. Utilize review groups.
If you’re like me, in high school you hated working in groups. In college, I’ve realized that no matter how independent I am, there are definite advantages of having a study group. It adds some variety to your own studying routine and because you’re in a group, you all bring unique perspectives. You can use each other to fill in gaps and maybe to complain about how stressed you are.
If your professor offers a review session where they answer any questions, I’d also 100% recommend going. There’s often a stereotype that professors don’t want to help you, but there are so many great ones out there that do want to see you succeed. Reach out if you need the help.
5. Don’t panic! You’ll do fine.
This advice is very idealistic because even when I told myself not to, I definitely stressed way too much. I also probably didn’t get enough sleep or eat well-balanced meals because I prioritized getting a good grade over my health and wellbeing. This struggle between maintaining your grades and health is a scary reality in college. It’s something that we all have to work on, myself included. Remaining positive and healthy during midterms would’ve definitely helped me.
Midterms were overall a crazy experience for me. It was stressful, yet definitely manageable. Since I’ve now survived my first midterms, I feel as though I can officially call myself a college student. It’s nice to think that it’s all over, at least until finals season.