Worried about passing that impossible Chem 101 midterm or trying to figure out the best way to study for an abstract class? Don't fret too much about your exams! Taking your first midterms is a right of passage here at Penn, and everyone goes through the same struggles and worries that you have every year.
Here at Penn, it's always nice to have someone looking out for you, especially if you are a freshman and fear the curse from walking over the compass on Locust Walk. (It's not a curse! Trust me!) Don't listen to all the horror stories that upperclassmen students will tell you about their first midterm experiences. With some tips to get you ahead of the game, there will be no problem getting that A!
Everyone is unique which means that there is no right or wrong way to study for your exams. However, there are some clear things that you should avoid in order to prevent utter and complete defeat from your midterms. Here's a list of the best ways to prepare and dominate your first exams!
- Do: Find out when your exams are.
This may seem like a simple and obvious instruction, but believe me, the first month of school can be quite overwhelming with all the NSO events, general board meetings, and auditions for extracurricular activities that Penn has to offer. You can easily lose track of keeping ahead with all your classes, and a midterm exam can easily creep up on you. Look ahead at the syllabus for each class, and mark when each midterm is coming in whatever planner or device you think will be the most helpful. The key to passing your exams is planning ahead. - Don't: Skip your classes constantly.
I know it's easy to not feel the need to attend your huge lecture classes, especially if attendance or clickers are not required. You may tell yourself that you will read the book and keep up with the homework which would be just the same as attending class. DON'T DO IT! It's the easiest way to fall behind because constantly missing classes means that you are missing the meaningful information that your professor may tell you that will be on the exam. Or worse, you may study all the wrong material and be prepared on all the wrong things for the midterm. Just don't do it. It's okay to miss one or two classes, but try and fight that urge, and wake up for those 9 am lectures. - Do: Form study groups with classmates.
Many of you may find it easier to study for exams by yourself, and I am not saying there is anything wrong with it. However, it's easy to miss how important studying with other people can be. It was my mistake during my first round of midterms to not seek the advice of a friend or just someone to communicate my understanding of what will be on the exam. There is always more to learn and sometimes studying with other people at least once before an exam can provide a major boost to how you may approach a problem. - Do: Reach out to your professors.
Professors are not trying to fail you. They want you to understand and to open up your mind to thinking outside the box. They want to help you. It is why every professor has office hours, which are required, in order for students to reach out and ask questions. Going to office hours also gives the chance for your professors to get to know you, which is obviously very important at Penn, with networking and connections being vital to your future. Scheduling to visit your professor's office hours at least a few times a month can easily cause that B to change to an A. - Don't: Wait until the last minute to study.
What you are thinking about doing is dangerous. Pulling an all-nighter may seem like a great idea at the time, but boy you won't realize how important it is to have a good night's sleep the night before an exam. By the time you make it to your exam, which is usually at night if not in class, a lot of the material you spent all night studying may not be easily retrieved for when you take your seat in the exam room. It's good to prepare at least two weeks before the exam, increasing the intensity of studying everyday you go, but don't choose the last night for the heaviest load of studying. Drop the Red Bull and the sour straws you are preparing to devour during the cram, and get some rest. - Do: Pack spare batteries for calculators.
It may seem like the chances of your calculator dying during the middle of the exam are quite low, but it has happened to me, and I had to start doing long division on my exam because I forgot extra batteries. This is not high school, and your professor may not always have extra calculators or batteries on hand. Be prepared! - Don't: Forget to make a cheat sheet.
This is more specific to math classes, but the cheat sheet can be one of the most important things to an exam. If your teacher tells you to do it, then do it. There's so much information you already have to hold in your head from all of your other classes; there's no point in giving up the chance to make your life a lot simpler for your midterms. Make sure that you review your cheat sheet before arriving at the exam. It saves a lot of time knowing where everything is. - Do: Arrive early to the exam.
I am not saying that you should get there 45 minutes earlier and have a seat right at the front, but it does gives you a little room to breathe if you are seated in your exam room at least 10 minutes early. Anything can happen on the way to the exam like going to the wrong building or breaking your wheel on a bike. Life doesn't stop happening when you're on your way to an exam, so give room for any of the problems you could have along the way. - Don't: Worry too much.
Getting good grades is important, but don't go gray over your first Bio exam. It will be fine, and if things don't work out and you don't get the grade you want, there's always another exam that you will be better prepared for. College is your only time to be both responsible and irresponsible on your own, so don't beat yourself up over a bad grade. Life moves on and so will you!
