Seasons change, and March brings more than tree blossoms and a cool breeze. As the days tick by in February, midterm season is slowly sneaking up on us. Some classes, especially those in STEM, may even have two midterms: one before and after spring break. Midterms are so subjective and widely spaced out among different majors and classes that it’s hard even to give them a clear-cut definition. For now, let’s focus on the midterms you must complete before spring break, as the ones after the break require a slightly different strategy. Midterms are typically a long paper or a 1.5-3 hour exam. Since they’re spaced out throughout the semester, approaching them can be daunting or frustrating. If you’re the type of person who likes to dedicate one large block of time to finishing all their assignments, the format of midterms may be especially irritating. The key to endurance and success in midterm season is remaining steady, focused, and disciplined.
- Start With Your Mental Approach
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If you spend too much energy worrying about a midterm’s outcome, you’ll shake your self-confidence. You might end up procrastinating a paper because you’re convinced it’ll be a hot mess—but that’s not going to make your task any easier. To that point, any fixed mindset you have about your capability in a class should be discarded because it will only hold you back from improvement. Plus, if you exhaust yourself from worrying, you won’t have enough energy for the actual exam/paper. Remember that even if you’re struggling in a class, there is always room to grow from now until the date of your midterm. It’s also important to remember that too much studying can wear you thin. The goal is to find your own green zone, where you’ve done enough work to feel ready and have downtime to sleep and relax. Often this is simpler than it seems, and most of it is well-planned timing.
- Block Out Your Study Times and Breaks
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On that note, it’s time to get organized. Planning out when you’ll study for 2-3 hours makes the exam prep process smoother and can give you a better sense of control. Take a look at your weekly schedule and consider your habits when blocking time to study. For example, if you’ve got back-to-back classes on Tuesday from 10-2, you’re not going to like setting your study time from 2:30-5. In this case, it’s better to set aside 1-1.5 hours to relax, grab food, take a walk, or decompress. After this, you’ll be much more focused when you get to work.
Another helpful strategy is to set 45-minute increments of studying/working, with 10-15 minute breaks. This prevents burnout and allows you to make the most out of your study time because you know that you won’t be working for hours straight. I’ve found that when writing a lengthy paper with this technique, I’m able to finish a draft after about 4 hours.
In terms of studying for exams, I’d take this approach with a grain of salt, as it should be more like a guideline than a rule. The material you need to review is dense, and you may burn out faster than you would writing a paper. Your study and break-time should be intuitive to your energy levels. Likewise, it’s important to keep a study snack on hand and hydrate.
- Set Your Intentions
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This is how you break down everything you need to accomplish, and make your midterm season less intimidating. It helps to set daily intentions. If you could focus all your energy into finishing ONE task today, what would it be? After that, what are two tasks that would make you feel better once completed?
You can also set weekly intentions. What tasks have hard deadlines this week (a paper deadline or a scheduled exam)? What supplementary things could you do (studying for a test) that would make you feel satisfied by the end of the week?
- …And Your Non-Negotiables
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This has much to do with knowing your habits and what’s right for you. What’s one non-academic component of your life that you would refuse to give up, even in the crunch of midterm season? This should be personalized, but some areas to consider are:
Sleep: What’s the minimum amount of sleep you need? Consider setting a bedtime reminder and wake-up alarm on your phone to reach your optimal number of hours slept.
Health: What’s one thing you love to do that you’d refuse to give up? This could be stretching in the morning, reading a book at night, having a slice of coffee cake at breakfast, etc. A short walk while the sunlight is still out is also a good pick-me-up.
To summarize, midterms are drawn out and can’t be approached with the same intensity as finals week. The main benefit is that the midterm topics are more specific than finals, so you’ve got less material to cover. Don’t forget to take advantage of office hours, tutoring, TA sessions, and study groups. It’s really about adjusting your daily and weekly schedule to fit in study time in a way that’s sustainable for you.