7 Study Tips to Get You Through Midterm Season
By: Amy Argueta ‘24
Studying can be a daunting task, especially during midterm and final season when you have multiple tests in a week. Just the thought of it can lead us to procrastinate until we are pulling an all-nighter before a test and regretting all our decisions. Though it doesn’t have to be so draining. In this post I list some tips to help you get the most out of a study session just in time for midterm season.
Find a Study Spot
First find a place where you know you can concentrate best. This place can vary whether it’s a cafe, a library, or your dorm room. Pick a place that you associate with studying and that you are comfortable working in.
Remove Any Distractions
The first thing that you should do is put away any distractions like your phone to make sure your study session doesn’t turn into a Youtube binge watching session or an hour of scrolling through social media (which I am admittedly guilty of too). Put your phone somewhere you can’t easily reach for it or see so you are less tempted to grab it while you are studying.
Make a To-Do List
Before you start studying, make a to-do list so you can keep track of what subjects you need to cover for the day. Get a planner or just a piece of paper and make a list of what subjects you need to tackle in order of priority. If you prefer typing, open up a Word Doc or note taking app to create to-do lists on your laptop.
Take Small Breaks
It’s not feasible to study for hours at a time because by the end you’ll just be burnt out and unfocused. Try studying for 45 minutes with 15 minute breaks in between. This schedule helps me stay focused during long study sessions without feeling burnt out but you can personalize the study and break time to whatever works best for you.
Stay Hydrated and Eat!
Taking care of your physical health is important to having the mental capacity to study. Make sure to have a tall glass of water next to you and/or some healthy snacks like fruit to keep you fueled during those long study sessions.
Confused? Ask!
Ask your professors if you are ever confused about the class material. During your study sessions if there are concepts that you are struggling with then make note of them and schedule office hours with your professors to ask about them later. Your professors are there to help, so make sure to take advantage of their office hours, not just when midterms or finals come up, but anytime you need some extra help! Try and get together with friends in the same class to study with too! Studying with friends is a great opportunity to help each other out with difficult concepts.
Reward Yourself!
After your study session reward yourself so you have something to look forward to and because you deserve it! This could mean anything from treating yourself to your favorite meal at the end of the day, relaxing with a movie, or just taking a nap. Whatever you find relaxing or enjoyable!
Overall these are simple but effective strategies that will help you get through your next study session. USC Student Life also recently posted a TikTok of study tips that includes some of the points in this post that you can check out here! For more content make sure to follow USC Student Life on TikTok and Instagram! Happy Studying!
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