It’s that time of the quarter again: midterms season. Every quarter we promise ourselves that we will be better prepared for it, and yet here we are panicking once again. Here are eight tips that I’ve found most useful so far, some of which is advice given to me by professors I’ve had.
1. Review your notes and lecture slides
This should always be your starting point for studying anything. Look over the key points from each class and see what you understand. Once you’ve established that, you essentially know how to guide your entire study session.
2. Read the important sections of your textbook
Your professor more than likely assigns “suggested readings” for each class. Believe it or not, they aren’t doing this to torture you or waste your time. Chances are if they say it’s important to read, it will be on the test and you’ll be glad you read it.
3. Do practice problems or old tests (if applicable)
While not all practice tests are exactly the same as the real thing, it gives a good idea of what to expect on the actual midterm. Sometimes your professor may even pull questions straight off of the practice exams, so understanding and knowing how to do all the problems is definitely a major key here.
4. Form study groups
For some people it can be hard to focus when they study in a group setting, but it can actually be very useful. Think about it, you have people to ask questions if you need help, and one of the best study techniques is to explain a concept you’re unsure of to another person. If you still prefer to study alone, this same technique can be applied to inanimate objects (disclaimer: inanimate objects are not a good source of feedback). Also, don’t be afraid to talk to people in lecture. Chances are they either have a group of people to study with and will let you join, or they need people to study with as much as you do.
5. Have a quiet place to study
Seriously, have you ever tried studying in a crazy, noisy room? It’s not effective. At all. You constantly get distracted and it’s just all kinds of bad. Even if you’re studying with other people it is possible to have a fairly quiet room, making it easier to focus on the important things and better retain information.
6. Do. Not. Cram.
I know, old habits die hard, but hear me out on this one. Cramming is the WORST thing you can do for a midterm. For one, you definitely will not retain several weeks’ worth of information by quickly trying to grasp concepts in a matter of hours. The best way to avoid this is to review a little bit each night. For example, if you have the class Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, go over your notes each night and read the important sections on the days you don’t have the class (shout out to my bio prof for this piece of advice!). Also, cramming for tests often leads to all nighters, and the last thing you want is to be exhausted before an exam.
7. Review your homework assignments
More often than not professors will pull questions directly off of homework assignments, so going over these and understanding questions you got wrong will be very beneficial.
8. Ask questions
It may seem intimidating to ask your professor or T.A. for help, but trust me it is SO worth it. If anyone knows how to help you it’s them. However, if you do feel to intimidated to go to office hours or shoot them an email, CLAS drop in hours are great, or even just asking people in your study group will help a lot!
Good luck on midterms, Gauchos!