Deanna Dempsey
Staff Writer
January could be a stressful time for the students of Joseph A. Foran. Midterms are approaching very quickly and will be here before you know it. Some tips for studying and making the time of preparing less overwhelming are finally here.
Senior, Mackenna Prete, whose completed 3 years of high school, has a lot of experience with midterms and taking tests. She recommends trying to relax and believes that if you rush your studying, then it could be way more tough on yourself. “If you wait until last minute to study and remember everything you previously learned then you’ll be way more stressed. Midterms made me feel so drained because I was overwhelming myself with months worth of work. All you have to do is take it slow and study one thing at a time and make sure you have started studying way ahead of time so you don’t cram everything in at once. From personal experience, I suggest that you divide all your studies up into two. Once you figure out what two classes you have on each day you can see which ones you have to study first. And if you ever get too worked up and submerged in your studying, just take a second and listen to music and relax your brain.” Prete has had 3 years of practice to get used to the environment that midterms put you in. Her big idea is making sure that you keep calm because stress could bring frustration and anger.
Making sure your work space is clean and neat is also a major concern to the environment you’re studying in. If you have a clean work space, your studying should be clean. Organized notes help you find information easier and could potentially make it less frustrating to find answers to the study guides.
Anatomy teacher, Ms Emily Lockhart, has many helpful tips for midterm takers too. “It’s really important to actively study for your exams. Just staring at your notes isn’t going help that much. Pick up a pencil and start working your way through the information. We learn best by doing! Make a study guide in your own words and keep rewriting the content you are getting stuck on.” She has many helpful tips on helping kids manage their time and getting ready to take the big exam.
New history teacher, Ms Jessica Hirschbeck, gives her tips and tricks on preparing for taking midterms. “I think students should prepare for midterms by reviewing their notes and using study guides. If your teacher doesn’t provide one, you should make one for yourself. Tap into your teachers too – they are happy to help you prepare to do your best! Ask for extra help, resources, or study tips. If you have a friend in class, study together or make flashcards. The best advice is to be organized. Don’t start studying until you have all of your class materials together and organized.”
These ideas could help make studying and preparing for taking midterms less stressful and have less pressure. Always try your hardest and answer every question with the best of your ability, even if you don’t know the correct answer.
