HOW TO GUIDE: MIDTERMS

It is almost that time of the year my friends: Midterm Season. Along with weekly quizzes in my math class and other sporadic quizzes and tests, I have already have two midterms so far. Midterms in only the fifth week of school is not something I had really prepared myself for. Welcome to college. However, both midterms seemed to go over pretty smoothly and I walked out of them pretty confidently. The reason for that is I made new study habits for myself. So, today I thought I would share some easy tricks to get that grade you want.

Study Tip #1: DEDICATED QUIET SPACE.

When I study, do homework, or do anything where I need to focus I make sure I have a quiet place to go. Since I live with my parents, it can be hard to do that since everyone has their own agenda. My mom will be in the kitchen cooking so I can’t be there, both my parents will be in the living room watching t.v. so I can’t be in there, and until recently I didn’t have a dedicated spot in my room to do work besides my bed or the floor, which usually ends up with me taking a nap. Now that I have a desk and a little corner dedicated to my school work, I am not distracted and can just close the door knowing I won’t have anyone bother me. Like I said my new setup is brand new, but before I had to find other places to go. One night I found myself at a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf and other days I would spend my breaks in the library getting as much work done as I could. PRO TIP: GO DOWN TO THE SECOND LEVEL OF THE LIBRARY. It’s really quiet down there, and the perfect place to really focus and zone into your studying. I just learned about the second level about a few weeks ago.

Study Tip #2: NO LOUD MUSIC.

When I’m in places like the library and coffee shops it can still be sort of loud so I make sure to wear earplugs, use noise canceling headphones, or play classical musical music instead of playing my normal playlist. I find myself jamming out to my regular playlist and get no work done, especially when it’s not something I want to study for. I know some people say they do well while listening to their favorite songs, but personally I find it nearly impossible to get anything done. So, if you have trouble really focusing because of loud noises and you listen to your favorite playlists while studying,

try and switch it up a bit. PRO TIP: SPOTIFY HAD DEDICATED PLAYLISTS FOR STUDYING AND FOCUSING, CHECK THEM OUT. Not only do I find new songs I like, but they are really helpful for tuning everything else and being productive. Also, Premium Spotify is only $4.99 a month and now it includes Hulu. No Ad’s plus free Hulu, that sounds like a deal to me.

Study Tip #3: FIND A FRIEND.

I know it can be intimidating to talk to new people in your classes, but in the long run it is so helpful. In all of my classes I make sure to introduce myself to at least one person. That way we can exchange contact info and if I need help or miss a day I have someone I can rely on to help me or fill me in on what I missed. I am constantly receiving and sending messages from people in my class about homework questions and more recently questions about quizzes/tests/midterms. You can even plan a study session, because working together is always better than working alone.

I hoped these tips gave you some good ideas about how to prepare to study! They really worked out for me so I hope they work for you. If you guys want more let me know in the comments and subscribe to my blog page to get notified when I post!

Rian x