Mid-term exams are always a daunting challenge for students. In this article, you will learn about effective tips for college students striving for academic success.
Preparation to mid-term exams:
- Self-organization and discipline. If you don’t know how to be a successful student, try to improve self-discipline first. This skill is crucial but very often ignored. Once you know the date of your exam, create a detailed study schedule. Note down the topics you will have to cover and assign a timescale to each of them. Put the timetable somewhere you can see it. This will keep you motivated and will help you not to lose track of time. You can either draw up the plan yourself or use free online planners offered by services such as ExamTime.
- Choose appropriate study techniques. For example, mnemonic rules work best for most students. Basically, this technique means associating new information with the knowledge you already have. Mnemonics is particularly effective when you have to memorize lists, dates, and other factual information. The most popular example of mnemonics is ‘Richard of York Gave Battle In Vain’ which stands for the basic rainbow colors.
- Overcome procrastination. Procrastination is not your enemy, as many people might think, but only a reminder that human brain needs rest. To be the most productive, you have to establish a good work-rest schedule. If your brain thinks that it will have to work non-stop, you will procrastinate. However, if you make small breaks, you will stay motivated and won’t lose concentration.
- Find appropriate learning styles. The key to effective studying is using the learning techniques which fit your personality. Some students prefer reading new material, while others understand it better when hearing it. Similarly, some like practical tasks, while for others logical explanation will suffice. By acknowledging the need to choose learning styles individually, we allow ourselves unlock our maximum study potential. Discover the most appropriate learning style and enjoy the studying process like never before.
- Use your most productive hours. Whether you are a morning or a night person determines which time of the day makes you the most productive. By preparing for midterm exams during this time, you can benefit the most from your study. This way, you will spend less time to learn more.
The Last Week Before the Midterms
The worst strategy a student can choose is to start studying the last week before the exam. Instead, this week should be the time to make sure that you have reviewed all topics. If you followed the tip #1 and created preparation schedule, you should already be in a healthy position for the exam.
Our final advice would be not to try to cover all topics 100%. Rather, aim for 80% in every topic. In such a way, you will definitely cover all topics but also save enough energy not to be stressed out and frustrated during the exams.