The Dreaded Midterm Season

Get ready for mayhem… 

The month of January always starts off nice. After all, it is the start of a new year and students have just returned from a long break. You might say it’s the calm before the storm because just two weeks later, the dreaded midterm chaos comes around. Students at Leonia High School gear up for a mentally draining, stressful time, and to be completely honest, it can be difficult to adjust. 

The constant and obsessive studying, getting barely any sleep, and going to a bunch of different places to be productive. Those are the main ideas midterms can be characterized by. 

In lieu of this upcoming venture, I asked a number of students all about midterms— their opinions on the tests, the ones they are most nervous about, and how they study. Most students said that they would easily leave midterms behind if they had the option. Truthfully, nobody actually enjoys sitting in a room and taking important tests for the simple reason that there’s a lot riding on them. 

However, with that said, midterms are a way to exercise one’s knowledge about what they have been learning half the year, which means they can be considered beneficial to a young adult’s mind. Still, that doesn’t mean students at LHS aren’t nervous for particular exams. Sophomore Daniel Lien commented, “I’m most nervous for the AP Euro exam because it’s supposed to be the hardest in the history department.” Wonder what his teacher Ms. Kelty would say to that!  

Lastly, I asked people how they study for their midterm exams. Usually, BB Bakery implodes with Leonia High School students–textbooks and binders scattered about the weekend before midterms. But, at the end of the day, everyone learns and processes material differently. Sophomore Julia Vazquez shared her study methods, saying, “Honestly, I feel like I use every study tactic but I mostly review old tests and notes, and of course, make study dates with my friends!” 

Just some general tips:

• Study in order of importance—don’t focus on studying for a test that you already feel prepared for
• The day before, make sure to review the subjects you are taking the following day 
• Make sure to hydrate–it sounds silly, but this is something you may forget to do in the midst of a stressful time
• Try to stray from distractions while studying–phones and TV, especially
• Don’t study with friends unless you feel it will help you be more productive
• And the most important of all: don’t doubt yourself–you got this!

Despite the fact that midterms can be a threat to one’s normal school routine, they are a necessary and huge part of everyone’s high school experience. As soon as they are over, everything will go back to the way it was. But until then, study, study, study!