Uh-oh. It’s that time of year again. Despite the fact it feels as though classes began yesterday the season known as midterms has once more thrust its presence upon us. Exhaustion. Sleep deprivation. Frustration. As the days become shorter and the weather becomes colder everybody is feeling the heat. Some students are confronting pressures they’ve yet to encounter since finishing their internships this summer. For others it’s grind time for the first time since school made way for summer in mid-May. Personally, there’s no kind way to put it — I’m already behind, kind of. This post in itself is late; deadline was over seven hours ago. There is, however, a way to avoid the predicament I every semester find myself in. Hope exists for struggling college students such as you and me. The semester is not yet over. Not even close. It’s only just begun and, if approached from the right angle, A’s are still a possibility. While I am no expert on the subject, here are five tips on how to escape midterms with both your sanity and GPA in tact.
The most important ingredient for success regarding an exam is too relax. Don’t get in your own head. Be confident in your ability and in the fact that you studied. Don’t be overly confident but go in believing you will leave your mark on the exam and you increase your chances of doing so drastically. (Photograph of Jameis Winston by Melisa Vastola)
To do well in a class one must first attend that class and remain focused through its duration. Twitter may call. Facebook too. It might actually be your girlfriend asking you to skip and grab lunch. And she might even look good today. You must, however, have the ability to put everything on the hold. When attention and respect are not given one becomes vulnerable to losing his or her group. Be through falling behind regarding a particular subject or actually losing contact with an entire geography class (as was the case with the student athletes pictured above) one must stay connected while in class. (Photograph of Max Slade and William Nastasi, taken by Dalton Zbierski)
One must maintain a healthy relationship with his or her teacher if he or she plans to be successful in that individual’s course. Visit your teacher during office hours and attempt to meet deadlines. (Photograph of UConn assistant professor of journalism Steven Smith, by Peter Morenus)
Sleep is an essential if one wants to be successful at this academic level. A Truman State University study recommends students get at minimum seven hours of sleep. (Photograph by KeanXChange)
