Tests, quizzes, and midterms, oh my!

Exams are starting to pile up, so here are some helpful tips to prevent you from drowning in what feels like this endless stream of work:

1. Make a study plan

Create a calendar and mark all of the dates you have exams. From there, you can back-track and set a timeline for when you will review specific topics in order to prepare. Make sure you give yourself enough time to spread out the material so you don’t end up cramming! Try to make a little bit of progress every day so you’re not overwhelmed at any given time and always making some form of progress.

2. Study group

Don’t be afraid to reach out to other students in your classes to get together to review material before an exam! Collaboratively studying is one of the best ways to better understand topics and make sure that everyone is prepared for success! See if your peers want to meet up in the library, go to a coffee shop, or even hop on a Zoom call to review topics and help each other study.

3. Check-ins

Set short-term goals for yourself! It’s great to have an idea along the lines of “I want to get an A on this exam,” but the easiest way to reach that goal is to set short term goals that will make success seamless. Maybe three days before the exam, plan to finish reviewing all material that will be covered, so you can spend the rest of your time focusing on specific topics you want to spend extra time on or are struggling with. Set short time goals that are both achievable for you and also helpful along your road to topic mastery.

4. Utilize office hours

If you are ever struggling to understand a concept, don’t hesitate to reach out to your professors! They will more likely than not love to lend a helping hand. Frequenting office hours is another way to foster good professional connections for your future endeavors, so if you need help, don’t be afraid to speak up!

5. Ask for previous or sample exams

If not already offered, some professors will create or share previous versions of the exam you will be taking or create a sample of some of the questions you might see. For me personally, this is what works best. I usually have a lot of test anxiety, so knowing the structure or format of the test ahead of time is an absolute life-saver. From my experience, sample exams and or previous exams are usually extremely accurate and telling of how the test will look as well as its difficulty level.

6. Find out what reviews are happening around campus!

Many organizations around campus hold really helpful review sessions for big exams that are a great way to assess your understanding of the material and spend time with others in the same position as you.

Lifestyle HACKs is an Opinion column written and created by Zoe Hack ‘24 to discuss studying guides and techniques, healthy cooking and eating, and other lifestyle tips during college life.