Top dog, head honcho, the big cheese, senior. All of these guys and girls know exactly what they’re talking about after three years of experience. How can you survive your midterms? They’re here to help.
“Start studying early so that you can figure out if there are topics you don't understand and need to talk to the professor or a TA about.” Muncks has started studying for some tests only a few days before and has gotten stuck on questions that he didn’t understand the night before; unfortunately by that point, “it’s too late to ask the teacher.” Moral of the story: “Study a lot, obviously, but also study early so that you have time to ask questions about things you don't know the answer to.”
–J.P. ‘The Rocket Scientist’ Muncks, Aerospace Engineering, University of Virginia
Agreeing with Muncks, Levitt suggests, “Study early and often. The most important thing is to not stress out. Do what you need to do to study and to get stress-free before and during your exam. There are plenty of tests in college, and they will all be more important than midterms during fall of freshman year. Don't be afraid to go to the professor or TA if you don't understand something or need help.”
— Laura ‘The World-Changer’ Levitt, Broadcast Journalism, Elon University
“Remember everyone else is taking the same midterm you are. If you've been going to class and doing the homework, you're in good shape. Definitely study, but remember it's just as important to sleep. I know friends who studied so much without sleeping enough, and they slept through their midterms.” Uh-oh! Don’t let this happen to you by following Marmer’s philosophy that “The night before you probably won't learn much more, and you're better off getting a good night’s sleep.”
— Andy ‘The Economist’ Marmer, Economics, Vassar College
“Be as organized as possible.” Morrison suggests doing as she does and making a schedule to help her budget her time wisely, especially when she has more than one exam in a given week. “There are always going to be things going on, and sometimes it can be hard to focus and study,” she says. “[But] these are the first set of tests so just relax and you will get the hang of it.”
— Laura ‘The Ivy-Leaguer’ Morrison, Human Biology, Health and Society, Cornell University
“For your first set of midterms, definitely over study. Make sure you know much more than you need to. Most of college is about learning your teachers and what they look for,” Shapiro says. Therefore, “Your next sets of midterms will be easier mostly because you know how to play their game. Make sure to stuff your brains with things you'll never need again.”
–Zack ‘The Entrepreneur’ Shapiro, Journalism with a focus in Media Studies, University of Colorado at Boulder
