By Kelli C. Walker
As October approaches, you’ll quickly realize that midterm exams aren’t far behind. It’s easy to forget when you’re out having fun on Halloween and Homecoming, but The Spread is here to offer you helpful tips that will leave you stress-free the week of your midterms.
Re-Take Notes and Review Them
If you had to do any readings, then skim over them again – but this time, write out the important facts, key characters, significant effects and so on. As you sit in class, you’re most likely scrambling to get every bit of information written down, but now you can condense all of your notes and start reviewing them every day or weekend.
Old Graded Exams = Your New Study Guide
Midterm exams not only test your knowledge on what you’ve recently learned, they also test what you remember from early quizzes. Therefore, go through all of your old graded exams or papers (hopefully you kept them) and study the questions you got wrong as well as the ones you got right. Let’s be honest, you’re most likely going to see some of the same questions, but this time you need more than luck for midterms and finals!
Classmates Make Great Friends Too!
On a campus with thousands of students, making friends is probably not a bad idea. Whether you have assigned seats or have to scavenger hunt to find one in a big lecture hall, striking up a conversation with your peers is a great advantage for exams. Form a study group, ask for everyone’s point of view on a reading or term, and soon you will have an understanding of things when the midterm arrives.
A person’s best friend is… Diamonds? Dogs? Nope, Sleep!
You probably thought I was going to say Caffeine is a person’s best friend, simply because caffeine is part of a person’s daily routine. You have a long day ahead of you? Pulling an all-nighter? Need an extra energy boost? Anyone would say caffeine is the solution that will help get you through the day. However, I have a better solution: sleep. During the weekend before mid-terms and finals, plan a time for you to turn off all electronics and hit the sack. This will relieve stress on your body and mind well before the exam. The night before midterms won’t be enough for your body to regain its full energy, and caffeine just adds extra anxiety that you do not need when trying to focus.
The Power of Food
In addition to making sure your body and mind are well rested, give them food that will provide an energy boost without the negative side effects that caffeine leaves behind. Instead of making a big liter of coffee, wake up and make yourself a good meal. A good breakfast is always the best way to go. Whether you prefer a hefty meal like eggs, bacon and pancakes, or something lighter like oatmeal, fruit, yogurt and nuts, taking exams can take a toll on you mentality – and just like the saying “mind over matter,” give your mind an energy boost with brain-powering food.
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The Spread 