With the virtual start to the semester, midterms seem to have crept up on us a lot quicker than usual. Not to mention, how is spring break just around the corner? Before spending too much time stressing, give these study tips a read:
1. Make a study plan
Create a calendar and mark all of the dates that you have exams. From there, you can back-track and set a timeline for reviewing specific topics in order to successfully 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 do something productive with your limited time.
2. Create a 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 increase understanding 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 to review topics and help each other study.
3. Short-term goal setting
Setting short-term goals is one of the easiest ways to feel super confident in your progression of any task. 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 more seamless. Maybe three days before the exam is when you decide to plan to finish reviewing all material that will be covered, so you can spend the rest of your time leading up to an exam focusing on the 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. Office hours, and review sessions
If you are ever struggling to understand a concept, don’t hesitate to reach out to your professors! They will more than likely be willing 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! Additionally, many professors or 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.
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. Personally, this is what works best for me while preparing for a big exam. 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. Review previous assessments and homeworks
Another way to refresh content and familiarize yourself with problems and questions pertaining to a specific topic is by looking through old assignments and tests or quizzes. Holding on to these usually becomes very useful for future exams, or even in your future career.
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.
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