Midterm exams, whether high school midterms or college midterms, play a crucial role in your academic success. They are so significant, in fact, that they account for anywhere between 15% and 40% of your final grade.
We’d wager that, knowing this, you and your fellow high school/college friends are feeling some test anxiety right now. But don’t panic — we’re here to help you learn how to study for midterms successfully.
In this guide, we’ll help you prepare early and secure midterm exam success. Regardless of your learning style, our study strategies will have you wondering why you were stressed about your midterm exams in the first place.
Your Midterm Exam Study Guide: Initial Preparations
To excel during your midterm exams, it’s best to avoid immediately jumping into intensive study sessions. First, you need to spend time preparing your study strategy, and here’s how you can do that effectively.
Understand Your Learning Style
Not everyone learns the same way. Some students learn best by reading and note-taking. Others understand core concepts by listening to videos or gaining practical experience.
You could even use a combination of learning styles. In any case, it’s best to know what works for you before you dig into the course material. By doing so, you’ll find it much easier to be productive.
Review the Course Syllabus
Treat your course syllabus as your roadmap to success. It contains all of the information you need to organize your study plan. Think everything from the exam’s format to the exam’s contribution to your final grade. With this knowledge, you can complete your midterms knowing exactly what your professors expect of you.
Alongside specific exam instructions, you should also make note of the exam date. Keep this date in your mind during your studies, and, above all, start early. Pulling a frenzied all-nighter the night before isn’t advisable, to say the least.
Look Into Previous Tests
Previous exams are your best friend. By reading over past essays, you can determine which exam topics you’re comfortable and uncomfortable with. In turn, this will also help you focus your studies.
You can also use past papers as practice tests where you can see how you’d answer essay-type questions. With enough practice, you’ll learn how to write essays quickly as well as effectively.
Devise a Study Plan
A study schedule is your gateway to beneficial organization. Not only do study plans keep you on the right track, but they make your studies more manageable. Instead of cramming a mismatch of different topics, you can take your time and absorb information more effectively.
To create a great study schedule, start by evaluating your commitments and setting realistic goals. After all, you don’t want to over-commit to your studies if it isn’t feasible. From there, you should assemble helpful techniques and tools, such as the Pomodoro Technique and Smodin Addons.
Then, you should break down your course into manageable chunks, designate time for breaks, and review your schedule frequently.
Join Study Groups
If you can work productively with your peers, study groups will prove invaluable to you. In a study group, you can motivate each other when you feel as though your commitment is wavering. This way, you may find it easier to stay focused on the topics of your midterm exam.
In addition to motivational support, you and your peers can share lecture notes, practice problems together, and discuss study techniques. As you can imagine, this is a great way to gain new perspectives and knowledge, especially during group review sessions.
How To Study for a Midterm in One Day: 5 Top Tips
The 24 hours that precede your exam will be one of the most stressful times of your academic term. We know that when you’re feeling nervous or unconfident, it’s difficult to memorize everything you’ve learned. Even if this happens, you don’t need to worry; we have some solutions for you.
1. Tidy Your Study Space
Research by Stanford University shows that working in a cluttered environment can have an adverse effect on your focus and productivity. So, before you do anything study-related, it’s best that you create a clean, distraction-free study space.
As an added bonus, many consider cleaning as a mood-boosting activity that helps them gain control over their emotions.
2. Gather Essential Materials
Next, we strongly recommend that you collect all of your study materials. These materials include flash cards, previous homework assignments, and any notes from your study group, classes, and every review session. It may also be worth having your course syllabus in front of you, too.
What’s more, you may even benefit from leveraging AI-driven tools like our handy Text Summarizer. With this summarizer, you’ll turn complex concepts into a string of easily and quickly digestible short answers. In other words, this tool is perfect for your last study sessions.
3. Try Memory Techniques
As you know, your midterm exams will require you to cover a lot of ground. To memorize what you need to know, try the following techniques:
- Repeat: It’s simple, but writing or speaking out the information you need to know may help you remember it.
- Create connections: Connect information that you’re unsure of with information or concepts that you already know. For instance, let’s say you’re writing a literary analysis piece on “A Streetcar Named Desire.” To remember its core theme of reality vs illusion, you could imagine Blanche DuBois using filters on social media.
- Use mnemonic acronyms: These acronyms will help you remember a lot of information. With mnemonic acronyms, every letter represents each word or phrase that you need to remember. For example, HOMES is a simple, effective acronym for the Great Lakes (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior).
4. Teach Your Peers
Consider assuming the role of a professor or teaching assistant and teach your fellow students your study topics. Teaching the topics you want to learn allows you to engage with the content in an entirely new, refreshing way.
That said, don’t limit yourself to explaining the knowledge you want to solidify in your mind. Allow your peers to ask you questions about your chosen concepts, as this will help you delve deeper into them.
5. Take Breaks
You may think that you can’t afford to take any breaks during the last study session before your midterm exams. In actuality, you can, and beyond that, you should.
Go for a walk, talk to your friends and family, grab a bite to eat, or take a shower. Whatever you do, you need to ensure that you give your mind a break. These breaks will help you avoid the dreaded burnout phase.
How To Knock Your Midterm Exam Out of the Park
Here are a few more tips to help you nail your midterm exams:
- Attend review sessions regularly.
- Ask for help when you need it.
- Study every day.
- Avoid social media while you study.
- Steer clear of sugary drinks.
- Opt for brain-boosting foods like whole grains, oily fish, and dark, leafy greens.
How To Study for Midterms: Use Smodin’s AI Tools and Improve Your Grades
When you organize your schedule, establish a great self-care routine, and study hard. However, to secure that dream grade, you may need some assistance. This is where Smodin enters the fray.
With Smodin, you have access to a wide range of AI tools to help you with your homework and more. Use Smodin’s Omni tool as your personalized learning assistant. Get help with math, science, and a range of other topics, and excel in your midterms!
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I de-stress during college midterms?
Allocate some time to your favorite hobbies and activities, like sports, reading, or yoga. Physical activities, in particular, will reduce stress, improve your mood, and help you sleep.
How do you sleep before midterms and final exams?
Try breathing exercises, listening to calming music, drinking chamomile tea, and exercising before you go to bed.
How do I avoid blanking out during my midterm exams?
First, don’t panic and take deep breaths. Try to recall what you’ve learned, even if it takes a little while. If you feel like you’re really struggling, try answering another question first.