My first semester of college, midterms caught me off guard. I had not taken midterms during high school, so this was a big adjustment for me. I was also new to the college work load, so when it came to studying, I didn’t even know where to start. However, over the years I found several methods that really helped me find my footing. As a senior who has taken more mid-terms than she can count, here are some (realistic) tips that have helped me over the years.
1. Take Study Breaks
During midterm season, there are a lot of assignments and tests due at the same time. With that, it is very easy to get buried in the books and not come out. However, taking study breaks can not only help your mental health, but also help you better remember the information. According to a study by the National Institutes of Health, it was found that your brain will replay the information you just learned during breaks, which will help strengthen your memory of the information. Additionally, study breaks just help you relax, and can help reduce your stress. Some of my favorite study breaks are going for walks outside, and getting coffee with my friends. As you can see, study breaks don’t just reduce your stress, but also are scientifically proven to help you learn the content faster!
My freshman year, I was introduced to “The Pomodoro Technique”, which builds breaks into your study sessions. To learn the Pomodoro Technique, follow the steps below
Set your timer for 25 minutes
Study for that amount of time with no breaks or interruptions
Take a 5 minute break
Repeat 4x. After 4 sessions, take a 15-30 minute break
To learn more about The Pomodoro Technique, check out their website: https://www.pomodorotechnique.com/
2. Choose Your Study Space Wisely
Choosing where you study is a very important decision. You want to pick a place where you are comfortable, but can also focus easily. Whether that is your dorm room, campus library, or a random bench in the middle of the quad, choose what you like best. You might also find that your favorite spot is different from your friends. One of my friends loves to study in the library, but I find that I don’t focus best at the library.
You also can determine your noise preference. You might study best in complete silence, or need people talking around you to focus best. There is no right or wrong answer for this. The most important thing is that you find a space that is comfortable and best for you.
3. Form Study Groups
One of the most helpful study tips I’ve gotten was to form study groups. This is not only a great way to get to know other people in your classes, but it also gives you the opportunity to learn the content in another way. I have found that during study groups, my classmates have taught me strategies that help me better grasp the content.
You also can take turns teaching each other content. It has actually been proven that teaching content can help you remember it better. Due to something called Active Retrieval, explaining a topic forces your brain to pull this information from your long term memory, rather than just being able to recognize the term on your study guide.
So before a big exam or project, I recommend collaborating with other people in your class, and practice teaching the content to each other. After you're done, review your study guide and fill in any missing information you forgot.
4. Make it a Game!
This is one of my favorite techniques, and I have found that it has helped me the most in college. While studying for hours and hours can be super boring and exhausting, there are ways we can make it more enjoyable. There are many free resources online where you can transform your class flashcards into an online video game!
One I’ve used several times is a game called Blooket. Blooket is a classroom review game, where you can upload your notes or flashcards, and you can play a bunch of different types of games reviewing the content. One of my favorites will give you the definition, and then you have to select the right answer. If you select the wrong answer, it will tell you why your answer was wrong, and you’ll have several chances to get it right. In addition to Blooket, Quizlet lets you play matching and recall games as well.
While this makes studying more fun, this continuous repetition facilitates learning. This is called gamified retrieval practice. You are being tested on active recall, but in a game format.
It is a great way to test yourself, but also learn the information. You can do this by yourself, or in a study group!
5. Don’t Be Hard on Yourself
I would say this is the most important of them all. Not every study session will be perfect, and you might leave feeling like you still don’t know the material. It is important to be easy on yourself, and remember that learning is a continuous process.
If the stress from midterms starts to get overwhelming, try D.I.M, our 3-step skill for balancing anxious thoughts before exam day.
D: Detect
Before you spiral, pause and ask yourself: “What was I thinking about right before I felt this way?”
Example: “I’m going to bomb this exam, and everyone will know I don’t belong here”
I: Inspect
It is easy to leap to conclusions, but thoughts aren’t facts. Put that worry under a microscope:
Is it accurate? What’s the actual evidence?
Is it helpful? Does it help me study, or make me freeze?
Have I gotten through a hard exam before?
What would I tell a friend who said this?
M: Modify
Swap the worst-case story for a more neutral, realistic way of seeing the situation
Ex: “This exam is hard, and I’ve handled hard ones before. One focused hour on chapter 4 tonight, office hours on Thursday.”
This is not forced positivity. Just a fairer take
If final seasons ever get overwhelming over confusing, refer back to these study tips. If you want to learn any more quick skills for the highs and lows of college, look for our “microdose” episodes. In these, we share short, simple tools like D.I.M.
Good luck with your midterms, you got this!! - Emily
