Let’s say midterms are coming up— college midterms. The best plan would probably be to worry about them until the day before, then pull an all-nighter in an impressive but ultimately futile effort to succeed. Is this not the pinnacle of wisdom? No, but some people clearly think it is. Here are some tips from one student to another on how to study for a midterm:
- Pay attention in class: if you’re going to show up, you might as well listen to the professor while you’re at it. This can be phrased thus: study when you’re supposed to study so you can sleep when you’re supposed to sleep. Listening in class can make studying later easier, and professors often talk about material that will be on the exam.
- Set aside a time to study at least every week. This time should probably not be “Thursday” or “sometime near the end of the week” or definitely not “whenever I have free time”. Ha! No one has free time, mortals. Try 1:58 on Friday afternoon, or a similarly specific time. It also can help if you have another person or persons to study with or just to keep you accountable.
- Try to understand how things work. This might be an obvious hint, but just try to know the things that are being tested. Again, listening and talking to the professor can be helpful.
- Try to get good sleep the night before the midterm. If you’ve been listening in class and studying once a week and understanding the material, cramming shouldn’t really be necessary. If you don’t understand anything, cram a few important things, but don’t try to learn everything lest you forget everything when the test papers are handed out.
- Have a ceremony that prepares you to take a test. I personally eat a bowl of oats and do some hand stretches. Find what gets you in the test-taking mood. Combine all these steps and you might just succeed. If not, simply consult another Health 100 blog— they’re around in good supply.
-Micah
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