5 Tips for Thriving During Mid-terms

Here are 5 tips to help every student thrive during midterms.

Set aside a specific time for studying.

Review our Quick Guide for Studying - identify what works for you and what you need to stay on track. 

If you have multiple exams approaching, it may seem overwhelming to try to find time to study for all your tests, which may eventually lead to pushing off studying altogether. Allocating specific amounts of review time for each subject will prevent you from getting overwhelmed or stuck on one subject for too long. Once the study time for that test is up (ex: 30 minutes), move on to the next subject.

Try not to mess with your meal/sleep schedule.

Review CAPS' Tools and Tricks for Healthy Sleep.

Of course, you've always heard to "get a good night's sleep" before a big test, but as college students, we often find ourselves up into the early hours of the morning finishing assignments and studying while half-asleep. Messing with either of these two important aspects can have negative effects on your body leading up to your tests, such as headaches and trouble focusing and remembering information.

Talk to your professors.

Have a question about the exam? Whether it's a question about content, the format of the exam, or clarifying information, the person with the most knowledge of the test itself will be your professor. Some professors even set up additional office hours before/during midterm week specifically for students to come and ask questions. Your professors wants to see you do well on the exam, and they are willing to provide the resources if you ask.

Stay organized.

Review our tips and tricks for staying organized and time management.

Staying organized while studying will keep you from becoming overwhelmed and help you avoid trying to remember everything at once. Take the time to identify any tips and tricks that can help you stay organized.

Give yourself breaks.

While of course, it is important to study, you also need to make sure you're allowing yourself time to process the information you've studied and give your brain a break from reviewing different subjects. Whether you relax best by taking a nap, browsing social media, or eating dinner with friends, it's important to give yourself time away from your notes and textbooks. Stay calm and be confident in yourself during midterms week, and it will be the end of the spring semester before you know it.

For information about mid-semester grades, please visit: https://success.ucmerced.edu/mid-semester-grades.