Superb study habits to crush midterms week
Studying can be tricky, and sitting down to do the work is a task in itself. With midterms on the horizon, developing good study habits is a useful tool to ensure student success.
However, it is important to note that every person is different, and it may take time to master studying in a way that works best for you.
- Find your place
The world is full of distractions. Some people may thrive in busier settings such as the Centennial Student Union, while others might work better in a silent Mav Pod. Find a place that you work well in and make that area your designated study area. As you visit this place more, it’ll become habitual to enter work mode as soon as you walk through the doors.
- To-do lists
With multiple classes to balance, putting every due date in writing will help you stay on top of the workload. Look for important dates ahead of time and write them down somewhere you look often. This could be a sticky note on your computer, a real-life sticky note, a planner, etc. To-do lists are your best friend.
- Practice makes perfect
Looking over notes may be helpful, but practicing the material takes it one step further. By creating practice tests, rewriting important things, and utilizing flash cards among strategies, the knowledge will stick in your head come test time.
- Fight procrastination
Procrastination is the devil on your shoulder. It is hard to donate spare time to studies, but neglecting the work until the last minute calls for a daunting test day. Remember to space out your time between work so you are not scrambling to study the night before.
- Take a break, or ten
Studying for long periods of time is strenuous work. Your hands get tired from writing, your eyes are sore from staring at a screen and your brain is short-circuiting. It is completely ok and actually beneficial to take breaks in between study sessions to gather your thoughts before you get back into the groove.
- Teacher time
Never be afraid to reach out to a professor regarding their class. Their job is to help students learn and asking questions about material they are highly knowledgeable in is typically encouraged by them. Do not feel like a question is not worth their time; it never hurts to simply ask than to never know.
- Confidence is key
Believe in yourself– it may sound cheesy, but it really works. Second-guessing yourself will only put you behind. If you have done the work and feel good about it, walk into the room on test day with your head held high. If you walk into the room assuming the worst, you will likely perform the worst. Fake it until you make it.
Write to Mercedes Kauphusman at mercedes.kauphusman@mnsu.edu
Header Photo: There are many areas within MSU’s campus that offer great studying areas for students such as the Memorial Library, Centennial Student Union, or a MAV POD. (Dominic Bothe/The Reporter)