We are less than two months away from the end of the semester, and some students have a couple more midterms to go. As an academic coach at the CAE, here are some of my tried-and-true tips for how to survive the rest of midterms and later exams as we wrap up the 2021-2022 academic year. You can do this, Rangers!
- Use this time to input the entirety of your remaining assignments and deadlines into your Google Calendar/Tasks, Paper Planner, etc. You’ll be thanking yourself during the busy finals week when you don’t have to spend time making sense of what’s due when. This creates more time for studying. I input the syllabi of all my classes into my Google Tasks at the start of every semester, and find that it saves me so much time in the long run. Even though it’s the middle of the semester, it’s never too late to plan ahead.
- Speaking of scheduling time, there’s nothing wrong with scheduling other things like lunch, naps and exercise into your Google Calendar. For busy students, making time for some of these non-work activities can make the difference between a good day and a bad one. I am a big proponent of creating blocks of time in a visual manner, whether online or on a physical page, so you can look at your week and see exactly where you have free time. You can also schedule time to catch up on work you might not have finished earlier and other obligatories that have to get done by a certain date (ex: job applications, housing arrangements, ShortTrec deadlines). Scheduling in this way can ensure that you have time for both work and play, without sacrificing valuable study time.
- Trick yourself for due dates—I’m serious, it helps so much. If your exam is actually on Wednesday, plan and study as if it is on Tuesday morning. By the time the real exam day gets there, all you’ll have to do is brush up on material the night before. If you have an essay due by Thursday, plan for a Wednesday deadline and have it outlined by Monday, then write Tuesday and finish up on Wednesday. This means you’ll have an extra day to edit or rest and focus on other things if you’re happy with your work.
- Embrace new study spaces. Luckily, the weather is getting better, so take advantage of studying outside. Studying is more effective when there’s pleasant elements, so enjoy the sun and spring breeze! You can use the picnic tables in TB circle, the tables in front of the Library and the grass along the path (as long as Tipple Pond is dormant.Your laptop may not appreciate getting wet!). Especially if you’re concerned about the loosening of COVID protocols on campus, studying outside can be a great way to change up your scenery while reducing health risks.
As always, the CAE is here to help. If you need content review, writing assistance or a time management and study skills cheerleader (a.k.a. an Academic Coach) —the CAE peer tutors are trained to help you out. Tutoring is free and open to all students of all majors and years. You can make an appointment on drew.mywconline.com after making a free account. You’ll be able to view which tutors are available and when. You can even limit the schedule to just view the subjects you want help with. If you have any questions, student administrators are regularly available at cae@drew.edu.
