Surviving Midterms

By Naima Rauf, Staff Writer

For Assumption university students and most universities in the United States, it’s time to enable those study skills as a midterms approach and stress levels increase. Through these stressful times for students, one may be seeking tips on how to approach and inherit quick studying habits to make it out of these few weeks alive. There are the top six tips given by an above average student striving for academic excellence at Assumption University:

1. Create a plan! An efficient way to attack your exams is to plan out your study schedule. This will help avoid getting overwhelmed. Plan frequent breaks to relax and write down what study strategies you plan to use to collect the most material. Planners are highly encouraged for this.
2. Utilizing notes! Most professors post materials via portals so students can access at any time. If you’ve fallen behind in taking notes throughout the semester, don’t worry! Reach out to your classmates or professors.
3. Review the syllabus and review sheet! Professors provide detailed outlines or a syllabus of what is expected from your performance within the midterm. Whether it be an essay question or general topics you are expected to know, you can review the content beforehand and practice answering the questions. Take advantage of materials provided to you appropriately. Sometimes with a quick internet search, students can collect review sheets posted by similar course professors that can be used to study. Take 20 minutes a day and study those so you can acquire that knowledge into your long-term memory for the midterm.
4. Study sessions! Set up a time with your friends or classmates in the library or another quiet study place to study together. It is easy to get sidetracked it with our common distractions nowadays, so set a time aside with others so you can help each other focus and keep on track. It is encouraged that one creates a smaller study group with students to study the material and prepare to tackle midterms together. Help others fulfill their conclusions about the material and get a better understanding of the material yourself!
5. Reach out to your professors! If you feel like you are rolling in the deep and midterms are coming up very soon, reach out to your professors and utilize those office hours. Most professors are flexible in making Zoom accommodations due to circumstances. Take note of detailed questions to seek further understanding from your professors. Sometimes, they may also suggest other study hacks for students to interrupt the content better. Remember, they know what they are looking for on the exam, so they are the most helpful person to reach out to! They want their students to strive for excellence and they are here to help you do exactly that.
6. Create several strategies to help you study! A survey conducted amongst a group of Sophomores at Assumption University shows that students feel 100% better when creating a study strategy for themselves. Some common ideas amongst the student body include flashcards, memorization games, studying each other, creating a mock exam to test themselves, et cetera. Create what works best for you and find ideas online!
7. Study! Some courses will require different studying methods than others but remember all students are in this together! Midterms are a significant part of final grades, and this is the time to show your attentiveness and your preparedness to your professors throughout the course Remember to take healthy breaks to allow your mental state to relax and not overwhelm yourself, that’s never a good idea! You’re already halfway through the semester, keep it up!