Midterm is here, and so are some Tips!

Midterm season is here and you might be in a panic, so in conjunction with the hectic season I thought it would be nice to share some tips on last minute studying. Keep in mind that these tips may not be applicable to everyone as people have their differences but generally, these are the most popular tips.

Numero uno! if you\’re completely clueless about a subject, don\’t try to cram in every bit of information from the textbook. Textbooks published by Pearson\’s, McGraw Hill Education and pretty much every major publisher provide a summary of the chapter at the end of the said chapter. Here, you will find important formulas that you may use to solve exam questions. You will also be able to save some much needed time since, you know. You got that paper in the morning…

Number two! If you\’re finding it difficult to memorize something, don\’t hesitate to spend a little time drawing a flow chart or diagram of the topic. Granted it may take some time, but you might actually save time doing this rather than just reading the same boring text over and over again in a futile effort to keep it in your head. Use different colours to highlight the importance of each point, make it interesting! Since this is last minute studying, leave the minor details and just jot down what\’s important. Once again, this may not work for everyone. It\’s been proven to work effectively for some people, so it can\’t hurt to try.

Next up is to try \”past year questions\”. I have found (the hard way) that doing exercises provided in textbooks and tutorial questions are GREAT for understanding a concept, but sometimes just aren\’t enough to get me through a paper. That\’s why solving past year question papers are very important. They help familiarize students with the pattern of upcoming test questions as well as give us an idea of what may come out. This may help reduce nervousness, confusion and raise overall efficiency. You may gain access to these past year papers through your lecturer\’s Moodle page, or through the library\’s question bank.

What if the solutions to your past years\’ questions aren\’t provided and you\’re not confident of your answer? That\’s where the next tip comes in, make study groups. Having more people means having more insight on things. If you get stuck, your study buddy may be able to help. In addition to that, you\’ll have someone around to make sure you don\’t horse around when you should be studying for that paper tomorrow.

Lastly, and may or may not be the most important tip, get enough rest. Take regular breaks every now and then. The human brain can only go through so much at a time. The best routine would to go for around 40 to 90 minutes of focusing on your studies and taking a ten minute break in between. If you\’re at the point where you\’re cramming in information and it just won\’t stick, then that\’s more than enough indication that you need a well deserved break. There are correct methods for taking a break. Don\’t play with your phone if you plan on studying later. Your phone screen emits bright colours that strain your eyes and tire your brain. Even though you may be relaxing, this will only hurt your performance later. Have a drink. Snack on some brain food. Take a short walk for a wisp of fresh air, even take a short power nap if you need to. Also, make sure that you have had enough sleep before you enter the exam hall. You wouldn\’t want to risk all your studying for naught just because you end up being too sleepy in the hall. Refresh your memory by rereading your working, flow charts, diagrams, etc. etc.

Last minute studying can be effective, but also brings with it the risk of failure or not achieving the best you can achieve. To play it safe, always pay attention in class. Your lecturer will give tips based on how the exam will challenge you not stated in the textbook. It\’s also easier to learn in a classroom and revise on the lesson later rather than learn the lesson alone without any guidance.

Good luck, UNITENIANS! I hope these tips will be able to help you out. If there is a tip that you would like to share, feel free to send your entry to nadiuniten@outlook.com .

Written by : Daniel Haziq Bin Razol Mahari