By Kiley Garrett
5 Tips for Midterms
Midterms are a week away and they took a lot of us by surprise. Whether you’ve been counting the days or you’re just finding out while reading this – Midterms for Eastern New Mexico University are scheduled for Oct. 7 – Oct. 11. But don’t stress, here are 5 tips for the quickly approaching exams, that will help you survive the week.
- Get out of bed.
You want a great way to put yourself to sleep? Study in bed. If you desire to retain anything that you’re trying to learn, you need to get out of that bed, that dorm room, that house and go somewhere out of your comfort zone. The Golden Student Success Center is a great place to study, as they have plenty of seating areas, computers, really anything you may need, even if you might find yourself tempted by the smell of bagels. - Study outside.
Let’s face it, as a college student, you probably don’t spend as much time outside as you should. If you’re having trouble concentrating under all those fluorescent lights, take a step outside. Find a tree or a bench to sit at and read that chapter you’ve been procrastinating on. Being outside has some benefits such as, fresh air, quietness, and natural lighting; these are all benefits that can effectively help you study. - Throw a study party.
Do you have your own house or apartment? Have a group of friends who are also struggling with staying awake under the pressure of reading those long chapters? Tell them to grab a pillow and some pajamas and come on over! Having a group to study with can be hugely beneficial. Break out some snacks and some age appropriate beverages and don’t forget your study guides - Ditch the cramming.
One of the most important things to remember about studying is that cramming doesn’t always work. The best thing to do is study in short bursts with breaks in-between, and don’t forget the brain food. Snacks can be good incentive to finish that chapter of jargon you’ve been muddling through for the past hour. Allowing yourself enough time to study for each class will reduce additional stress as well. - Find your style.
If there’s one tip that you should take away from this, it’s that you need to find your own style when it comes to studying. Experiment with different studying material, try flash cards, try rewriting your notes, try that weird gum chewing thing that we all heard about a couple years back. Everyone’s brains function differently, which means we all learn and process material differently. You need to find that style and implement it as much as you can while studying to be the most efficient and effective.
Studying is important and making sure that you’re prepared for midterms can be the difference between the Dean’s list and academic probation. Even if you didn’t find something in this article applicable to you, hopefully this inspires you to find other ways to make learning interesting and retaining information easier. Now remember, midterms will be here before you know it; don’t procrastinate and make sure you ask your professors now about exams, if they haven’t already talked about them!
