MIDTERM STRESS

Midterm season is coming up, whether we like it or not… Although cramming a whole semester’s worth of notes into your head 3 days before the exam is surely a method, it’s insanely stressful and it won’t do you well in the long run. Here are some tips to help you stay alive during midterm week!

Topic: Gaining Motivation (no motivation = no want to study)

As midterm season rolls around, a lot of students might have the idea of studying. But as we start studying, we start to lose motivation for it and there might be a lot of reasons for this including: feeling overwhelmed or stressed by the material, not interested in the subject, or even that you don’t see the value in what you’re learning. When lacking motivation, it would be helpful to identify your internal and external motivators. It can help you focus your study and your purpose of studying. If that doesn't seem to work for you either, try different study routines including:

clean your study space
Pomodoro or a timer
background music and TV shows
study with a friend
flashcards
study plan/schedule that breaks units into smaller pieces

Topic: Preparing what you need (so you wouldn’t have to get up)

You should always prepare what you need to study, so you are comfortable and not distracted. Here are some tips:

always have water, any other drinks, and snacks near you to keep you hydrated and energized
notes, worksheets, slideshows, previous exams, etc.
fully charged devices if you need it
comfortable chair, desk, and ventilation
pen, pencil, eraser, etc.
quiet environment

Topic: Setting the Time (ideal settings)

It is important to manage your time wisely during midterm season. Here are some tips:

create a study schedule
Pomodoro or time yourself wisely with a balance of study time and breaks
find a quiet, organized space like your bedroom, library, office, cafe, etc.
study with a friend or alone
silence your devices and remove any other distractions
have waters or any drinks nearby

Topic: Feynman Technique

The Feynman Technique is a learning method that involves explaining a concept to an imaginary child to see if there are potential gaps in your thinking. This is a great way to see if there are potential ideas you are missing so you can focus on those topics more than just a general overview of the material you need to study!

The first step is to choose the concept you want to discuss, then discuss it with someone (or if you don’t have someone just pretend you’re talking to a child), during this time, see if you are stuck with any of the material you’re reciting to this person, and finally review what you are confused about and create short explanations for yourself.

Topic: Leitner System

Leitner System is a study method that involves flashcards and repetition in an effective manner.

Study the flashcards in a spaced out time interval instead of cramming all the information in one sitting. Trying to memorize information all at once will overwork the brain which in terms will not be effective use of study time
This method helps you focus on information you are not very familiar with. Each time interval will focus on one specific subject/concept.

How to study with this system:

Create a set of flashcard with everything you need to study.
Make 3 boxes, label them: everyday, every other day, and once a week.
Place all the flashcards in the “everyday” box and start there.
If you answer the question on the flashcard correctly, you move that card to the “every other day” box. After one round, you will see that some cards will stay in the “everyday” box, this indicates that these areas need more studying.
Note that if you get the answers wrong on the flashcard, the card will move back to the previous box so that you can study that concept more.
You will repeat this process each day until all the flashcards are successfully moved to the “every once a week” box which means you have grasped the concepts very well.

Topic: Blurting Method

The blurting method a study technique where you read a section of text or notes, then close them and write down as much of the information as you can remember. This helps your brain retain the information that you read using long-term memory. If you can't recall something, then you know what to study. This method is very effective when you have a limited amount of time to study as it quickly tests which subject areas you are proficient at and which other areas need review.

Topic: You took the test. Now what?

Congratulations! You are done. Go sleep, eat, and hang out with your friends! No matter what you score, just know that you did your best and overcame the stressful midterms. If you did well, that’s amazing. But if you didn’t, it’s alright. After you get back your exam, you will know what you got wrong, so you know what to review. Midterms are only a half-way checkpoint to see how comfortable you are with the topics from the first half of the year. It is a way to measure your proficiency and know what you know and don’t know!