March is Midterm Season. At least that’s what it feels like right now. Whether you have to sit an exam, submit an assignment, or just look out for a general grade from your instructor, the whole idea of midterms can be quite daunting. What if you don’t get the grade you’re hoping for? What if you get a good grade but then feel pressure to maintain the same standard of work for the second half of the semester?
Whether you’re a freshman or a senior, having a positive “growth” mindset (learn more about this here) when it comes to midterms is key to long-term success. In fact, it’s critical to ensuring that you get something positive out of the whole midterm experience, regardless of your grades.
Why Midterms?
Let’s consider for a minute the reasons for midterms.
The logic of this grading milestone is actually quite simple. It gives you and your professor a check point and an indicator of just where you are with your learning process. Well designed courses have specific learning goals and the theory is that assessments align to test how well you are doing towards meeting this goals.
With your midterm grade in hand, you can have a pretty good idea whether you are picking up the main ideas and skills for the course. You can also work out weak areas – concepts and skills that you need to work harder to master.
Midterms let you and your instructor figure out if you’re currently putting in the necessary effort, the necessary work, to pass the course. If you are falling behind, it’s an opportunity for you and your instructor to work out a plan to get you additional help.
Reviewing Your Study Plan
Once you have your midterm grade in hand, there are a few things you can do to get the most out of the information you now have in hand.
First, being halfway through a course is a great opportunity for you to take another look over your course syllabi. The syllabus is your course contract and it should tell you what assessments you’ve got coming up while also giving you an idea about how you can prepare for them. It can also give you information on your options for things like extra credit if needed.
Second, having reviewed the syllabus, you can also take a look at your current study schedule (yes, you should have a study schedule, more on this later). If you are on target for the final grade that you want, then you can probably leave things well alone; perhaps make some allowances for upcoming final projects or cumulative final exams, but otherwise give yourself a pat on the back and let things be.
If you aren’t quite where you want to be, though, now is the time to think about adding a few hours of study each week.
Getting Help
Another option you might want to consider if you’re struggling with one or other of your courses is tutoring. Many colleges have tutoring services available that are free at the point of service. These include peer tutoring, mostly, but also some professional tutoring.
If you want to make the extra investment, qualified personal tutors can work with you, developing a comprehensive tutoring plan and helping you with all aspects of studying.
For more information about tutoring through Eximius Tutors, visit our services homepage or contact us today.