Midterms can feel like a huge obstacle, but the best way to get through them is by actually testing yourself instead of just rereading your notes over and over. When you force your brain to remember stuff instead of just looking at it, you’re actually making it stick better.
When asked, Ms.Santos says, “effective midterm preparation involves using a variety of study strategies”. She believes that making flashcards and studying with others can be extremely helpful. She also suggests that the act of rewriting notes and saying information out loud helps it stick better in your memory. Finding a good place to study, such as the library, can improve your focus, and even small things like listening to music or chewing gum may help you concentrate. Ms. Santos recommends creating a reward system for yourself. Study for 30 minutes to an hour, then take a fun break before repeating the cycle. When it comes to managing stress during exams, she advises taking deep breaths and remembering that one test is not the end of the world or your entire grade. Sitting and stressing won’t help, so if you get stuck on a question, move on and return to it later. Above all, have confidence in yourself and try to stay calm.
Another method that really works is called the Blurting Method. Basically, you read a chapter, close your book, and then write down everything you can remember on a blank piece of paper. After that, grab a red pen and go back to fill in whatever you forgot. It sounds simple, but it actually shows you what you know and what you don’t. Also, don’t try to cram one subject for like 10 hours straight. It’s way better to study something today, look at it again in two days, and then review it again in a week. This is called spaced repetition, and it helps your brain remember things long-term.
Your brain can’t focus forever, so working in short bursts is key. The Pomodoro Technique is pretty popular. You work for 25 minutes, take a 5-minute break, and after four rounds, you take a longer 30-minute break. Another tip is to start with the hardest or most boring subject first while you still have energy. It’s called “eating the frog,” which is kind of a weird name, but it makes sense.
If you want to know if you actually understand something or if you’re just memorizing words, try the Feynman Technique. Pick a concept you’re struggling with and pretend you’re explaining it to a little kid. If you start using complicated words or get stuck, that’s where you need to go back and study more. It’s honestly one of the best ways to figure out what you don’t really get yet.
Where you study actually matters too. Try to study somewhere quiet, like at a desk, especially if that’s similar to where you’ll be taking the test. And seriously, put your phone in another room. Even if it’s just sitting there turned off, it still messes with your focus. There are apps like Forest that can help lock your phone if you need that extra push.
Finally, go through everything you need to study and use a traffic light system. Mark topics green if you know them well, yellow if you kind of get them but need to review details, and red if you’re completely lost. Focus on the red ones first, then move to yellow, and just do a quick review of the green stuff. This way, you’re not wasting time on things you already know.
