Midterm Season Tips





Ayah Altalhouni - Jan 13 - 4 min read





We are currently in midterm season, and with this we are dealing with increased pressure and stress, and it can feel exhausting. Today, I’m going to suggest a few tips, to make this time a little less overwhelming. Even though what I’m going to write today is in the context of my midterms, you can apply this advice to any of your examinations at whatever time during the semester.


To begin, I want to advise you to sit up straight, and take a deep breath. Take as many deep breaths as needed, because I’m here to tell you that at the end of the day, do not be too hard on yourself. This exam you’re about to do is not the end all be all of your life. Don’t destroy yourself, risk your mentality, to get that perfect score. We are not perfect as humans, or even as animals, and it’s ok if you are not where you want to be. Your school life is only a fraction of your entire life. Ask yourself, “Will my 70-year-old self care about my physics exam today?” I don’t think so. With this, let’s get into what I do during midterm seasons or with exams in general.


Number 1: Breaks This is the number one thing I do, and sometimes my breaks can get out of hand by becoming too long, I still recommend you take them. We are human, and not robots, and can’t continuously work. When I was younger I thought the longer you studied for, the better you were. I used to go for 6 hours straight, not letting myself take a breath. This is unhealthy, and I don’t recommend you to do this at all. Continuing like this, a person is bound to get burnt out. If you don’t know what burnt out means young one, then here is the definition: (of a person) in a state of physical or mental collapse caused by overwork or stress. (Oxford Languages). So you see, in my first year of university, this is how I was feeling, like a collapsed block tower. I say this because for years in junior high, and high school, I was pushing myself higher and higher, and in university, things came at me like a catapult and destroyed the tower I had built, leaving me lost. I never felt burnt out before, and my immature self didn’t realize I can’t pull my long hours and come out unscathed in university. So something I learned to do was to take breaks, as much as needed, for me to get back on track. Loosen up my mind, walk around, and get back to grinding. You might feel guilty, just like I have, for taking a few breaks, but I’m here to tell you it’s ok. Remember my advice about taking a deep breath, well, I want you to take another one right now. Stop reading and take a deep breath, stand up, shake it up, take another breath, and sit back down. See that…that my friend, was a break. Now that was a short break, but remember to allow yourself to take longer breaks. Go make yourself that chai Starbucks replica recipe you found online, or walk your dog. Doesn’t matter what you do, just close your device, and leave the room.


Number 2: Listen to music, positive music. Stop memorizing the cranial nerves and their function, and just tune out the world with some music. Find a playlist, or make your own, on whatever platform you like. Music is proven to relax us and give us a dopamine boost, and you’ll need all the dopamine you need during a stressful time. We shouldn’t resort to getting dopamine from unhealthy sources, but from healthy ones like listening to music, or receiving a hug. If dopamine sounds unfamiliar to you, it is this chemical released by your brain to give you a sense of pleasure, satisfaction, and motivation. Plus, the elements we need in our school lives are good memory, concentration, and positive vibes. Well, dopamine helps you with those as well! See, dopamine is a good thing, and a way to release this is to listen to some good comforting music. Everyone’s taste in music is different, so I won’t recommend what you should listen to, because I might not enjoy Taylor Swift, but you might be a swiftie yourself, so I won’t put you down for your choices.


Number 3: Quizlet Now it’s time for an actual study tip, and I would say flashcards, but it’s not just any regular flashcards, but the app Quizlet. I recommend this app because it was a game changer. I make flashcards to begin with, and then I go to the learn function there. I set it to long-term memorization because it’ll be very repetitive. Depending on the format of my test, I also adjust the learn function. For example, if my test is essay-based, I’ll make it more written, but if my test is MC, I’ll set it to matching. I’ll make up questions, or put definitions in there. Because of Quizlet, and its learn function specifically, I was able to get multiple As on my tests because of it. My biggest achievement because of Quizlet was getting a 99% on my HIST 128 Final exam, which was essay-based. That was the only tool, plus random YouTube videos, that I’ve used to study for the exam. But to end this, it’s not just regular flashcards I’m recommending, but this app. Though remember, everybody learns differently, so don’t be too hard on yourself when something that works for me doesn’t for you.


Number 4: Practice Tests Similar to the last one I recommend using this method to prepare for your exams. If there aren’t any practice exams that you could find for your class, then make your own. Go through your notes, and from each section think what questions could be made out of the information. Make questions in different formats for one topic. For example, make the question multiple choice, then consider how it would be as a matching, or a written. This allows you to critically think about what you're learning and its relation to other topics, which adds another level to your studying. Finally, you can make the tests by hand, or digitally. I personally use Google Docs, and just type out questions, and then answer them as best and detailed as I can (If they’re written).


Number 5: Readings I’m in the Social Sciences, doing Education, so the following advice is mainly for those in reading and writing-heavy classes. Now a thing I learned that made the difference to me getting A’s was making sure I understood the readings, which could include papers, articles, textbook chapters, etc. I’m going to tell you how you should go about your readings, so that when it comes to studying for your test, this part will be a little easier. I advise you to read your readings as soon as they’re assigned because if you procrastinate them, they’ll be difficult to read all in 2 days or even 24 hours before your test. Those readings can get quite dry, and you might find yourself reading a sentence over and over again, because it doesn’t make sense. While reading, I advise you to have a piece of paper with you, and just write down anything you think is relevant, any questions you have, and potential arguments the reading is discussing. Summarise each page, or paragraph, depending on the content within, and do it in a way a high schooler might understand it. Save the pieces of paper you accumulated, and use those to study for your exam. If you have a written assignment, then practise writing an analysis, argument, or summary depending on the criteria you were given for your exam. If it’s a sort of multiple choice exam, and the readings will be part of the questions, then apply Number 4, to your studying with the papers. However, one thing is very important if the readings aren’t making sense to you, for whatever reason, then make them make sense. Ask your peers or your teacher. Don’t jeopardize your grade, because you failed to ask for help when you needed it.


We aren’t perfect, and it’s ok not to understand, and it’s ok to struggle. Just don’t let these hurdles get to you, and find ways to surpass them. There are resources available for you on campus from mental support to academic support, so use them. Just remember my first advice for you, and that is to breathe.