If you are a college student ANYWHERE in the world, you know the familiar feeling of anxiety, stress, and panicking as midterm week approaches (faster than you would have thought possible). If you’re like me, the middle of October really crept up on you. Here’s how NOT to freak out as those middle of the semester exams approach. These tips can also help during the dreaded finals week at the end of the semester.
1. Use multiple methods of learning/studying
Writing down and reviewing notes the same way can really be boring (cue falling asleep in class). Other ways to study efficiently are drawing pictures or charts to go along with your notes. Personally, I am a visual learner, so being able to call these pictures to memory during the exam is MUCH easier than the pages of notes in your head. You can have someone quiz you, which is a mode of auditory learning. Sometimes hearing the information can trigger it again once you are taking the exam. If you have the choice between listening and taking notes in class, I find listening to be a much more effective way of learning (especially if your teacher puts up power points that you can review later).
2. Take small breaks while studying
My method is: for every 20-30 minutes of studying, take a 5-10 minute break. Studying for large blocks of time can cause the information to get jumbled in your head. Taking those 5-10 minutes to get up, walk around, stretch, or just sit and relax, can really make it difference when it comes to test time. And by taking a break, I don’t mean go check all of your social media accounts. One, this can easily cause that 5-10 minute break to turn into a 20 minute break. And two, social media sites are full of more information being thrown at your brain during a time when you should be resting it.
3. FInd time to exercise.
We all hear the excuse, “I don’t have time,” and many of us have said it once or twice before. However, making that 20-60 minutes of time fit into your schedule can do wonders for your mental health. It gets the blood moving in your brain after all those hours of sitting down studying, and it gives you a much needed break. My method for an exercise break during exams is to take a 20-60 minute exercise break when you are halfway through studying that day. Even if it is just a walk up and down your block, you will really see a difference in your focus when you sit back down.
4. Don't cram five minutes before the exam.
Sitting at your desk before the exam, you may start freaking out with everyone else talking about information, possible questions, and the dreaded words “I’m gonna fail.” Do not let yourself fall victim to the stress. Trust in yourself and all the material you’ve studied up to that point. Trying to cram more information into your brain five minutes before the exam will more than likely make you panic rather than help you. If you need to, put headphones in until the professor walks in to block out the negativity around you, take a deep breath and stay positive. Take it one question at a time, and don’t freak out.
