Midterms – Your Last Chance
October 7, 2009 | Lisa Kilian
There’s no doubt that college is great. No parents around, no curfews, no chores…no one telling you what to do! You can stay out as late as you want, eat when and what you want, and do your homework when and if you want to. The first couple months of college for the new freshman is a freeing experience. You get to party, hang out with new friends, explore the new area you’re living in and get in a moderate amount of trouble without having the harsh whip of your parent’s justice fly over your head.
But these aren’t the only reasons you came to college. You came to learn something, correct? To get that higher education your elders may have only dreamed of?
Well, in between getting to know people, partying, and doing whatever you want, you may have missed a couple of classes. And that’s okay! Until you realize that you’ve missed a lot of class. Perhaps you’re like me and tend to skip all your Monday morning and Friday afternoon classes. Now it’s October, the professor is talking midterms, you have no clue what happened past the first week of September and worse– you have no notes.
Yeah, you might be screwed…unless you’re smart. And not book smart, I mean street smart. Thirty percent of what you learn in college comes from professors and books. The rest comes from experience. You’ve already figured out that college means you’re on your own and it’s the same way with classes. No one, especially a teacher, is going to hold your hand. Lucky for you, there are other students in your classes that are just as lost and confused as you are, except they actually went to class. These are the ones that will be forming study groups around midterm time, stuffing their noses in books and cramming their heads full of last minute information. These are the people that are going to help you get that good grade you can gloat about to your parents.
However, you must approach these people with caution! They have worked hard all semester and if you’re in a small class, chances are they have noticed you haven’t been working…at all. They’re not going to want to give you notes and answer your questions no matter how nicely you ask. You must be humble and admit you fell off the wagon a bit.
Find out what time and where they are studying and gather your books and what little notes you have. Come to the study group as prepared as possible. Be ready to look up any questions they may have. Whatever you do, don’t just sit and listen to them ask and answer questions. Get involved! This is how study groups work. At the end of the study session, when you have done your best to both keep up with them and help them, ask a kind member of the group if you can make quick photocopies of their notes. Once you have bonded with your fellow students and gotten involved in learning, they will most likely be more than happy to comply with your request.
So now you’ve got some studying time in and you’ve got a complete set of notes. But you’re still hazy on a lot of what’s in those notes. Simple. Open up your book and start reading. Don’t have a book? The campus library will likely have a copy you can check out for the time being. Most campus libraries have a special section called “Reserves.” Professors inform the library of what book is being used in every class and the library either pulls it from their shelves or buys a copy if they don’t already have it. They then put these books in the special “Reserves” section of the library and students like you that do not have copies of the book can check the textbook out from the library for 2 hours to 2 days at a time, depending upon how large the class is and how many copies of the book are available.
Highlight the things in your notes or review guide that you either do not understand or don’t remember learning and read the section or chapter of your textbook that covers it. Reading out loud will ensure that you actually take in what you’re seeing.
Get a good night of sleep before your impending midterm. Wake up refreshed, look over your notes while eating some Wheaties and go to class prepared. If you’ve done your homework, even if it was quick homework, you should still be able to get a good grade on that exam.
Now, my friend, you have effectively skipped class and still managed to ace it. A good midterm grade will provide a cushion during final exams, provided you keep up the good work. But please start going to class. You may have dodged the bullet this time but it would have been a lot easier if you had just written your own notes and learned with the rest of the class.
In the meantime, check out these sites for tips on how to study:
And most importantly…
