Midterms are fast approaching, the official date is March 4, but instructors have some flexibility as to exactly when they schedule their test. With this in mind, two advisors at the DMACC Boone campus, Shelby Hildreth and Jocelyn Kovarik, have some advice for students who are stressed about midterms and are wondering how to prepare for and succeed on their tests.
Hildreth gave some advice as to how students can prepare themselves for midterms.
“Plan ahead… make certain when you study you are not just cramming right before… thirty minutes one day, an hour the next day, you will have a better calm when you come into your midterms.”
This advice was also echoed by Kovarik.
“Don’t cram, I know it’s the easiest route to take, but it is probably the least productive”.
The biggest advice that these two advisors had was to start now. Don’t wait until the weekend before or the night before to start studying. Hildreth also put things into perspective.
“What’s the worst that can happen? Your arm falls off? No, the worst that can happen is you fail a midterm and then we have options.”
Hildreth, while advising students to keep things in perspective, went on to give student another tip which can help with stress.
“The drop date for regular term classes isn’t until March 26th, which is plenty of time to take the midterm, then make a decision on whether or not to drop the class”
Kovarik encourages students to learn based on their strengths. Some people learn by reading or writing or talking about the subject. Kovarik suggests that students should use whatever method works best for them. Using the method that works best can prevent students from getting frustrated and wasting time studying with a method that will not work for them.
When asked what advice she had for students who are struggling, Jocelyn recommended talking to their professor:
“When you take the time to talk with professors, they can walk you through what you are missing, tell you whether there is extra credit involved, and they can tell you if your grade is something you will be able to bring up by the end of the semester or not.”
She also went on to explain that professors can give guidance on when to drop a class that really isn’t working. Kovarik recommends that students call, email, or use office hours to address any concerns with their professor prior to midterms.
When asked the same question about struggling students, Hildreth recommended being honest. She explained that being honest with yourself, as well as an advisor and the instructor can really help in the process of deciding what to do next if a student is failing a class. She believes that taking responsibility for things that are the student’s fault, as well as understanding things that weren’t under the student’s control, is helpful in determining next steps.