Midterms and Finals Don’t Have to be Scary
For many high school students this week, midterms are the first thing on their mind. Midterms are these daunting tests that often feel overwhelming and my students will normally ask: “How am I supposed to remember all of this information?”
To be honest, midterms can be a lot to process. You are being asked to be tested on a semester’s worth of information and it can feel almost impossible to address. Well, that is because we have habituated and normalized cramming, this phenomenon that many high school students know well. You might cram because you consider yourself a procrastinator, or maybe you are in two sports and have a part-time job and haven’t been able to make time to study. However, this method of studying may or may not put the information into short-term memory, and rarely allows for you to remember it long after the test. So then, what is the point of midterms?
Midterms are there to serve as a checkpoint to see how much you have retained over the semester. Afterall, the information you learn this year will be needed in your next course and later in college or university. But students often come to me and admit that they don’t remember anything from the semester, which is where we confront this vicious cycle that might cause you to feel this need to cram for the tests that are coming up in just a few days. This feeling of impending testing will cause students to either wait until the last minute to study or will try to study all of the information, one subject at a time, all at once in hopes that something will stick. However, neither of these methods will help you get through midterm week successfully or stress free.
Instead, it is important to chunk the information and get through it a few concepts at a time. Below, we will explore a couple of ways you can make it through studying this week! Any of these steps and tools can be helpful for an upcoming quiz or test, but are especially beneficial during midterms and finals!
Make a list of your exams and the concepts that will show up on the test.
This step might seem arbitrary and needless, but it will help you see what you will be addressing in the upcoming study sessions. Use your syllabus, the chapter titles from your textbook (look at the table of contents!), or the subject heads from the titles on your online platform like Canvas or Moodle. Some of your teachers might provide an overview of topics that will be on the test -- use the resources given to you! Compiling a checklist will help you see what you might know and will ensure that you at least address every topic that is coming up on your exam. You don’t have to play a guessing game at this point, but will be able to see the information that you will be expected to know and create a timeline where you can split up your learning into smaller, more manageable parts. If this sounds overwhelming to you, ask a friend or family member to support you through this planning stage. It’s okay to ask for help -- in fact, it is encouraged!
This step should ideally be done a week or two before the exam, but you haven’t missed out yet! You can still do this during the weekend or on the Monday before you start your studying.
Create a personalized study plan.
Now that you have an understanding of what you are expected to know on the exam, you will be able to split up your studying into sections. Look at topics that you don’t remember at all first or separate the information chronologically depending on the class. For classes like science, going over chapters that are less familiar and will certainly be on the test might be helpful to do first. For classes like history, math, and foreign language it will be most beneficial to study the information chronologically because these courses build information on one another. However, it depends on each class and what makes the most sense for you!
Actually study a little bit at a time.
Learning happens best when you intake information a little bit at a time with repetitive and consistent practice. It is also important that you understand the context of what you are studying. Simply doing a practice problem and completing rote steps will not allow you to do well on a test. Rote steps will only get you so far because you won’t be putting the reasons why a problem is working into longer term memory and won’t be able to use your skills on a problem that looks differently, but applies the same concept.
Use your resources.
Some students find that creating entire study guides from scratch work for them, but not everyone has the time to do this nor is it the best way that everyone learns. Most teachers will give you a study guide or give you resources to review the information… use these! They are there to help you. And a little known secret? Teachers will leverage these resources for testing and understanding the ways that these study guides ask questions will be a good way to practice how the test will look. You can also use resources like Quizlet where you can use the Learn feature. Use Quizlet to either look up existing practice questions to test your what you know, or preferably, create your own in order to increase your critical thinking skills. Creating Quizlets do not have to be limited to writing vocabulary terms. Instead, write your own questions that might show up on a test that applies the information you learned to deepen your understanding of the content. You can also use other resources like Khan Academy for math where there are plenty of videos to help you relearn concepts that might have become a distant memory. Crash Course has great videos on YouTube for sciences (like Biology and Chemistry) and almost all of the histories. And finally, ask your teacher questions. I know I’ve written about this before, but more than likely, your teachers want to help you. They teach because they care about you. So, in class as there is time to study or after school, take some time to ask specific questions from your teachers who are there to support your learning.
Have accountability.
Create your study plan with a friend or a parent and have someone who is willing to help you get through the week. Text them or talk to them everyday and share your progress. Plus, when you get something done, you can celebrate with them and cross something off of your checklist!
Celebrate the small wins.
As one of our distinctives as a company, it would be remiss to not mention this small yet powerful habit. Everytime you accomplish a small study goal, whether that is studying a concept, writing a Quizlet, or watching a few videos on a topic, celebrate the win. One recommendation from one of Ardiendo’s staff is to put a quarter or a dollar in a jar every time you have a small win. These small wins will eventually accumulate and you might just be able to reach that bigger goal and purchase a small reward for yourself. For me, I’m currently working towards getting that Spotify Premium back :)
Take breaks.
Your brain can’t study for hours and hours. This aspect of your studying is incredibly important. You might be the student who is cramming, or the student who is diligent and studying way before the exam. Either way, if you are the student who is studying for hours without taking a break, your brain will get tired and no longer be effective in retaining the information you are studying. So at that point, you’ve studied for hours and you are now no longer storing that information anywhere. Now, this does not mean you study for 30 minutes and call it quits. Instead, this means to study for 45ish minutes and then go do a quick activity to help you focus. Maybe you go for a quick walk, talk to a friend, get a snack, drink some water (which is so important, but a topic for another time) etc. Regardless of what your small break looks like, it is important to take them!
And as all test preparation blogs will tell you, get some sleep and eat a healthy breakfast the morning of your exams. This is pretty self explanatory, but getting rest and some food before your test will help you do better the day of the test! Staying up all night won’t help you focus during the actual exam, so try and get in some rest every night!
I know that seems like a lot of components to a midterm week, but you can do this! These tests shouldn’t have to be scary or anxiety-filled. It doesn’t have to be this overwhelming task, but simply splitting up the studying and putting in the effort can pay off. Some students feel like if they aren’t “smart” like some of their other friends, there is no point in studying. And to that, I encourage you to go read our series on the Growth Mindset. You are capable of learning this material and doing well, you just need the right tools to study in a way that works for you! If you don’t know what that is yet, that’s okay. However, you will never find out what works for you if you never try. So take this week to try studying in ways that work for you and put in the effort to do your best.
Good luck with exams! As always, feel free to reach out to us if you want to know how to apply these steps specifically to you! I’d love to chat more about how to curate your personal learning plan.