Start now: Preparation tips for midterms

As the semester starts to close, midterm season is officially approaching. For OH midterms start on Tues., Dec. 17, and end on Thurs., Dec. 19, with an alternative class schedule. 

“I’m a little stressed and anxious,” said OH senior Lily Yelensky regarding her readiness for midterms.

Anxiety, stress, and general nervousness are quite common concerning midterm season. Luckily, students have time on their side so they can start preparing in advance. 

“When you prepare in advance, you’re more confident, and then when you’re more confident, you do better,” said Brenda Shay, OH Social Studies teacher. 

While preparing in advance is a great tip, there are several other tips that students should know to be their best for the upcoming midterm exams.

Keep up with notes

One of the most cited midterm preparation tips is studying in advance, including looking over notes, keeping up with your vocabulary terms, and completing those studies. All of the teachers interviewed for this article mention this strategy, but it is truly important to start preparing as early as possible. 

“A midterm is going to look at big concepts throughout the whole semester. So highlight your important terms and make sure that you can get the gist of… what you’ve been taught,” said Shay. 

Overall, keeping good notes and knowing your terms is a good starting point for studying. When students know the basics, they can fully dive into the subject. 

Complete those study guides

Most teachers who proctor midterms also create study guides. Although this may sound repetitive, many teachers do so with students’ success in mind.  

“I like to tell my students to go through that review kind of once with only the resources allowed on that exam,” said OH science teacher Trevor Huser. 

This can help students by testing their knowledge and giving them a preview on what subjects or units they need to look at further. Doing the provided study guides and doing them with a strategy in mind is a perfect way to prepare for these midterms and to keep studying efficiently and effectively. 

Utilize resources

Utilizing your resources is essential to preparing for midterms. Resources include notes and study guides (already mentioned) but teachers and tutors are resources, too. Talk to your teachers and ask questions.

“Just utilize your teachers. Utilize the tutoring center after school. Make sure that if you’re confused about anything, you ask the teacher for help,” emphasized Shay. 

Shay also recommends utilizing your resources the night before the midterm and ask for help before the day before to keep information fresh. Your teachers are here to help you, give them enough time for their help to be applied before your exam, and you are ready to prepare. 

Manage time wisely

Another cited tip for midterm preparation is to make sure students manage their study time effectively. 

“Shorter and more frequent study sessions are more beneficial. So maybe study for 40 minutes and then fold your little laundry, then come back and do another 40 minutes” said Huser. 

This sentiment was echoed by Shay as well, studying in shorter spurts can help the information be retained more easily and more effectively. Cram sessions are less than ideal, so by managing study time, students can avoid stressful study habits and study with more purpose. 

Rest, rest, rest 

The last tip for midterm preparation is to rest. Late-night study sessions are so tempting, but it is essential to get the sleep needed. 

Shay indicated, “Make sure you spend a couple of days at least, or even the first, even that whole week before beginning to review your notes and getting organized so that when you do a quick review the night before, it doesn’t interrupt your sleep and it doesn’t you get rid of the stress.”

By utilizing the tips above, students can effectively and efficiently prepare for their midterms relatively worry-free.