Midterms are a crucial part of high school life as these exams will test your knowledge and application of what you have so far learned in your first semester of school. They are a stressful time for every student with schedule changes, studying, and discussing with teachers all while taking care of yourself.
Typically, midterms can be tests on exam days or projects that you work on over the course of a few days. Midterms are taken across 3 half days where you complete 2 exams each of the days. The earlier you start preparing for midterms the better. “Don’t put off studying, ask your teachers what material will be in the midterm,” sophomore Viren Jarrait suggests. Teachers want you to perform your best on your exams, they are always there to help you feel prepared when going in.
To freshmen, midterms are completely new. Though they might be intimidating, now is a good time to figure out what study habits are best for you. Freshman Kennedy Blackmon asked “If they are challenging” to which senior Anna Twork reassures that midterms are doable. “Overall the anticipation of midterms is much worse than the actual thing. Most of my teachers have made it pretty clear what will be in the midterm and what is recommended to study, so as long as you prepare in advance and don’t freak out too much, everything for the most part is manageable.” she responds. Senior Haley Berry also encourages fellow students to remain on top of their work to have an easier time with midterms. “If you weren’t paying attention during the first two quarters you’ll be a bit lost when midterms roll around. If you do your work and stay on top of things you should be fine,” she says.
Studying is the part that students get hung up on whether that be where to start or how to study. It’s a process that isnt easy. You have to start from somewhere, senior Brandon Comer suggests you compile your materials and focus on certain areas.
“Organize all your materials, assess what you know, and make a list of topics you need to prioritize. Remember you don’t need to study everything, only the ideas you don’t yet feel comfortable with.” he said.
Once you are all set and organized, now you just need to figure out how you want to study. It’s good to have one way to study but remember that studying isn’t just reviews and flashcards. Senior Chloe Jarrett suggests that you utilize your resources and people around you when you are studying.
“My biggest tip is to teach someone else all of the material. This allows you to develop a better understanding of the material and fill in any gaps if they have questions and you can’t answer them.” she says.
All Royal Oak students have access to the services at the Royal Oak Public Library, Jarrett shares how she would utilize the library to study.
“Me and my friends would use the study rooms in ROPL and use the whiteboards to redraw our notes and draw diagrams, also teaching each other!” she said.
Students tend to fall into studying for hours on end with little to no breaks however junior Sofia London suggests otherwise.
“Even though it feels weird, take more breaks than you think! When you just keep studying with no breaks, it’s harder to remember the information. But if you give yourself breaks here and there it’ll be easier and you can give yourself time to think about the information you just learned.” she says.
It’s important to take care of yourself during midterms. Though these exams may seem like everything they do not define who you are. Academic validation doesn’t have to come from just your teachers, Jarrett encourages that you value your voice and to not downplay validation from your friends.
“Don’t put all of your energy towards school, your relationships with friends and with yourself are equally as important, don’t discount them for academic validation.” she says.
Validation can be a form of motivation when studying but receiving it and believing it can be difficult. Finding that motivation to study can be challenging but it always pays off when exams roll around. Sophomore Janie Labarge encourages studying.
“Study even if you don’t want to, it’ll make everything much easier,” she claims.
Studying doesn’t hurt to do, if anything you could feel more confident going in. Taking time to try and understand the material can make the exam easier and you could even perform better. It’s just a matter of finding a way that works for you. Don’t feel like you have to study how everyone else does because there are so many different ways to take in and solidify information. Do what works for you.
Take the time to organize your materials and start to pinpoint what areas you need to focus on for the upcoming midterms. Figure out your preferred ways to study and also communicate with your teachers any concerns or questions you have regarding midterms. Remember you got this!
