With Christmas break behind us, midterm exams are on the horizon. Students have already begun to prep for half year assessments, nearly a month away from the time their pencils will hit the paper. With all the hype created about midterms by teachers, preparation outside of school is considered essential.
“Midterm” has become a word associated with grueling hours of work and sleepless nights for students. Midterms and final exams are worth a full marking period of grades. Most people wouldn’t scrutinize the idea so greatly but the truth is that 20% of your grade for each class is determined by two to four hours of exams.
Because midterms have such major impact on our grades, we have to take them seriously, study hard and most importantly, understand what kind of studiers we are. I asked around and gathered some helpful midterm tips.
1.Take breaks!
Studies done by students at Harvard University have shown that the human brain can only focus on one thing for about an hour. Take breaks to refresh your mind or move on to another subject to re-stimulate the study session. But remember these should be restricted breaks. Take a good ten minutes of mental break period and go back to work.
2. Find your spot.
A solid study place is key to carrying out beneficial studying. Find a spot that is relaxing specifically for you. The reason why people are always bringing their laptops and books to Starbucks is because of the calm work atmosphere and comfy chairs. Find the place you can best concentrate.
3. Listen to music.
Create a music mix that will help you focus and make the study sessions interesting. But be warned, the right music play-list can make a studier incredibly productive or incredibly nonproductive. Make sure the music is beneficial to your study period. “Listening to music with no words can really help,” explained senior Becca Johnson. “I listen to classical whenever I study.”
4. Eat and Exercise.
Eat well to stimulate your brain cells. Instead of coffee or caffeine, try some naturally sugary fruits like blueberries or bananas. Try some of the so called ‘brain foods’ or carbohydrates to boost your energy. Exercise and stretch to relieve tension and refresh your body. After exercise, your endorphins become pumped up which can actually make you more alert. All of these simple steps can help improve your midterm grades.
Get into a routine with studying. Study well and study often for the best results.