Midterms
As the holiday season approaches, high school students of all grades know that midterms dreadfully come along with this mostly joyous time of year.
For some students, testing is a piece of cake. But for most, midterms are a time of mini-panic attacks and faces breaking out — a time of late nights and early mornings. So, how could this be avoided?
Of course most students would respond with, “Having no midterms.” But, a better solution would be to teach students better studying habits.
tudy habits all begin with where you study. As tempting as it may sound, studying in bed may not end in good results. Most likely it will result with your face in a book, taking a nap, with a pen stain on your shirt.
The best place to study is somewhere where there are no distractions, such as a school library or even the kitchen table. Choosing a place where you will not be disturbed is the best decision. Making a study place equipped with already sharpened pens, highlighters, sticky notes, paper, and pens is a great idea.
Find out what part of the day is best to study for you. Some students study best at night, but most will benefit from studying during the day. Setting aside a period of time to study is also a good idea. Know what you want to accomplish, and do not overload yourself with a seemingly large mass of books.
Studying in smaller portions results in more knowledge gained. Also, contrary to popular opinion, taking breaks are actually a beneficial habit. Studying for 20 to 30 minutes is much better than studying for long periods of time.
Choose your most challenging classes to study first, and make sure you spend the most time on these classes. Studying a class that you already know about is good, but it would be well worth a student’s time to study more difficult courses.
Study actively! Take notes in margins, underline key terms, make flash cards, and talk about concepts to your friends and teachers. Anything that allows reiteration results in knowledge and facts being processed and stored in the brain.
Form study groups! These allow peers to interact through discussing concepts and ideas set through the course. Talking about something, as already stated, is a great study habit. Other students may think of other concepts that you have long forgotten.
Lastly, take your time. Reviewing a semester’s worth of information cannot be done overnight. Although it may be simpler said than done, it is best to study ahead. But do not think that if you have studied ahead, that class is done studying for. Constantly review this class, and keep doing so until the midterm.
Although studying for midterms may seem to be a daunting task, knowing how to study will make it that much easier. As they say, you cannot have fun without fundamentals, well, you cannot learn without knowing how to study.
Maybe this year we will see less hunched over students from backpacks that are way overloaded, and less students with black bags under their eyes from staying up into the dark of the nights studying. And, just maybe, we will see smiling students as they come out of their midterms. So until next time, happy studying and good luck with midterms!
