Tackling the Midterm Exam

WSPN's Caterina Tomassini and Jess Reilly answer some of the most commonly asked questions about the exams. Where are some good places to study? The media center is typically open later than its usual hours during midterms, so students can study in there with friends or alone in a cubicle. If not, the town library is a quiet space opened later than normal to get some work done. Others prefer t...

Biology is an exception to the the study methods for the other sciences. Doing well in biology is not only dependent on understanding concepts but also on memorization. Therefore, using Quizlets and making flashcards are apt strategies to do well on test day. If you find yourself in a time crunch, many former students have already created biology midterm Quizlets for your use. However, it is essential...

  Organize each unit and label them. Label which units you are most confident with vs. less confident Collect all of the unit test review guides. Ask your teacher to review your old tests, and note what needs more work. Know the material for each unit. Some problems might not have numbers (ex. Velocity is m/s). Review class notes, homeworks and labs. Know the main idea/significance o...

It is very important to master any grammar rules your English class has learned or reviewed, as you will presumably be tested on them. Secondly, make sure to revisit any vocabulary words from studied books. Finally, if your midterms consist of an essay portion and you have been given the prompt ahead of time, outline your ideas so you can be a more efficient writer. By organizing your ideas and evidence...

Math can be an overwhelming subject to study for, which is why it’s important to start early. Don’t procrastinate with your review packet because getting it done as fast as you can will give you more time to identify the areas you’re struggling in. If you’re struggling with a particular unit, your math textbook is a great place to get practice problems, but math can be difficult to teach yourself....

History relies on both memorization and the connection of events. Flashcards are a great tactic to memorize people, places, dates and events. Rewriting your notes can also help jog your memory and lock in information. While memorizing history facts is necessary, so is understanding the underlying causes and trends that caused them. Make sure you know not only what happened, but the reason why as well. St...

Organize your binder and divide notes by unit. Study and redo all of your quizzes-even though they aren’t all multiple choice, they can be very helpful.   Read the textbook-the sample questions hidden within chapters are helpful, because you get a step by step process of every problem. Do the problems at the end of each chapter-pick a few from each subsection, and when you feel comfo...

Spanish/French/Mandarin: Start off by separating your reading, writing, listening, and speaking notes. Find all of your old tests and cover up your answers. Take the test over again and see how you do Listen to old listenings, re-read any stories, rewrite old prompts given on tests for practice. For the oral: first write out bullet points of ideas you want to say, and then practice s...