BY LINDSEY HANNAH
The weeks are flying by. It seems only yesterday that the first quarter ended, yet midterm exams are already fast approaching. With seven tests a mere two short weeks away, a game plan is essential to success.
It may seem daunting, but splitting your time wisely makes it possible to dedicate the appropriate amount of study time to each subject. There are a few different ways to go about this. One choice, and my favorite, is to tackle your toughest classes first. Though it may come naturally to push them off until the last possible moment, buffing up on Calculus, Chemistry, or whatever it is that you find most challenging ensures that you are not forced to rush through it. Following those classes are the easier ones. If you run short on time, you already have a decent understanding of those subjects. If you have extra time, you have the option to go back and go over the tougher subjects one more time before exam day.
Alternatively, it might be appealing to get the easier classes out of the way before going for the hard ones. While this works for short-term memorization, it does nothing to help with long term retention. That means that when final exams roll around, none of that information from the first semester will have stuck around to help you pass.
Studying is always easier when you make study tools as the semester progresses. This means making flash cards and other study devices as you learn the chapter. If these are kept organized, they can come in handy for larger exams and save some time right before the test. However, if you haven’t been doing this, worry not. While it is more time consuming, the physical act of writing out information can actually help its retention; I suggest making physical notecards as opposed to websites like Quizlet if you have the time to write them out for this reason. However, Quizlet can serve as an excellent supplemental platform, as you can take quizzes created from the vocabulary terms you create or borrow. With physical notecards, get a shoebox and divide it into three sections: mastered, needs more practice, and no idea. Go through the cards, quizzing yourself. Based on how you do, place the cards in the different sections. Don’t stop until every card has made its way to the mastered section!
Some teachers will tell you that reading your notes and textbook is no way to study for a test. While it is true that this should not be the only thing you do, reading over notes and chapters is actually an extremely effective way of refamiliarizing yourself with the information. I suggest reading your notes first in order to get an idea as to the main points of the chapter, or what to look out for when reading the textbook. Next, read the book. Make sure to read all the text on the page; don’t skip over photo captions, graphs, or text boxes. These are often the sources of exam questions and can also provide more context to help you remember sometimes dry information and data.
Though you shouldn’t rely on the Internet to pass a test, there is no denying that it is an invaluable resource. Websites such as Khan Academy and the aforementioned Quizlet can help explain difficult concepts or improve vocab memorization. Additionally, educational YouTube channels can have the unique ability to make a boring topic interesting with relatable hosts and endearing animations. Some YouTube channels to check out are Crash Course, Bozeman Science, and Tyler Dewitt.
My final bit of advice for studying for this year’s midterm exams is this: don’t procrastinate. The tests are coming, whether you pretend they aren’t or not. If you study enough there should be nothing to stress about. Give yourself enough time to prepare; give yourself an opportunity to succeed. If you do that, I’m sure it’ll be just fine.
