Managing Midterms: 5 Test-Prepping Tips

November 2, 2012      |      Posted on Posted in Total Well-Being
Managing Midterms: 5 Test-Prepping Tips

Professors often say that your final exam score will end up being about ten points higher than your first midterm score. Though you shouldn’t use this as an excuse to slack off later this year (a ten-point improvement is not an easy feat) you can take something away from the idea.

Midterms are a benchmark for your overall progress in a class and, more importantly, determine what your approach will be at the end of the semester. Avoid downplaying their importance and your midterms can become an anchor for your overall grade, easing the pressure come finals time.

Help your future-self out by starting with these mid-semester study tips:

Annotate notes

Go through your notes with a highlighter and a red pen and “grade” them. Circle important points you made and for topics you don’t have enough information about, read up and expand on them. Review until you can “re-teach” the material back to yourself.

Flashcards

Flashcards are one universal study technique that has withstood the test of time – and even grown with it. If accumulating a stack of note cards isn’t 21st century enough for you, try one of many available flashcard apps.

Pace yourself

Study early and actively to avoid cramming – you’ll thank yourself later. If you have trouble developing a routine, a study schedule can keep you on track and your priorities in order.

Switch-off subjects

Don’t study for any one class for more than two hours at a time (tough, I know). Regularly rotating what you are studying is the most efficient way to retain a wide variety of information.

Study the test

Midterms are, if nothing else, a preview of the final. Pay attention to the test’s format, question types, and the professor’s style, and you’ll know what to expect on the final.

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