Coffee with extra shots of espresso, energy drinks stocked up, flashcards covering the floor and pulling all-nighters — it’s midterm season. Halfway into the semester, students are suddenly overwhelmed with countless projects, papers, study guides and tests.
Chico State professors were once in the same shoes as students and faced similar obstacles to overcome midterms.
Carol Marshall, a child development professor, went to junior college in the Bay Area for two years before transferring to and graduating from Chico State. She recalls her own personal experience with surviving midterms in college.
“I used to bring a lot of tea to the library and sit in those little square cubicles up on the third flood and just cram for hours,” Marshall said. “My tip for students would be to get uninterrupted sleep for eight hours. Also, buy the assigned book and work in balanced study groups, where everyone pitches in.”
Micah Wilson, a senior civil engineering major, explains the importance of attendance so no information is missed for exams.
“Personally, I always go to class,” he said. “I don’t skip and I do the reviews. My tip to other students during midterm week would be to study a little bit less and sleep a lot more.”
Jeremiah Johnson, a Chico State student and English professor, advises students to prepare for midterms the same way he does.
“Go over the class syllabus,” Johnson said. “I would also recommend students ask their professors what will be covered on the test.”
According to Campus Explorer, there are seven tips to help college students get through midterms:
1. Take good notes. Pay attention in class and write thorough notes about what the professor discussed in class.
2. Stay organized. Keep a calendar of all assignments and activities in order to remember any important work and information.
3. Unplug and reconnect. Don’t let smartphones or the Internet distract you from studying. Stay focused by putting electronics away.
4. Don’t cram. Studying over a long period of time may seem inconvenient, but it will help reduce the workload during midterms.
5. Don’t over-study. Utilize time management to study over a long period of time versus all at once.
6. Find your zone. Study in an environment that is conducive to learning and does not have any distractions.
7. Take a break. Give your brain a rest every hour and take a quick breather from studying. It will help ease the studying and make you more energized.
Julie Ramos can be reached at [email protected] or @julie_ramoss on Twitter.