Midterms.
For most college students, it is the root of all evil. Students around this time of the year are overwhelmed, cramming their work together and are losing their sense of time management. Students such as Sophia Frazier have a very hectic schedule throughout the week.
From working 40 hours a week for a Fortune 500 company, to doing hair on the side as another source of income, as well as being a full time student, Frazier is a busy woman. Frazier can barely keep up with day-to-day life itself. Not only do midterms affect grades but it also affects everything that goes on in class.
Depending on the professor, some students have a different form of a midterm. Some may not even have one at all.
“Most of my classes have a written exam, but for two of my classes I have to write a paper,” junior, Kenia Rodriguez, said. “If I had to choose, I would prefer to write a paper or even a do a take-home test, I think that it’s much more efficient for myself. Also, I do not feel as much pressure as I would being in a class room setting.”
The idea of being nervous during a midterm is normal, students believe. Most students stress about midterms and final exams. These exams are particularly intimidating to first-year college students. For students like Rodriguez and Frazier, both with two busy schedules, time management is very important not only for them but for all students.
Even though time is of the essence when it comes to midterms, it all comes down to how much time is set aside for reviewing midterms.
“When it becomes time to study, I try to at least give myself an hour each night,” Rodriguez said. “Because of work, sometimes I don’t even get to squeeze in that hour.”
Over the past two years of Rodguiez being at Cabrini, her main concern is to now focus on following her dream of being a police detective.
Through Rodriguez’s experience at Cabrini, most of the tests and midterms she has taken for her major will prepare her for the work she wants to do as a detective.
As for college students, it is always important to remember to keep midterm grades in perspective.
They provide valuable information to students at an important point in the semester. Ignoring midterm grades could have the potential of messing up a student’s semester GPA.
Students need to make sure to continue to check their grades to find out if they are advancing smoothly or need to make some changes.
By putting everything into a realistic perspective, students can manage a hectic schedule as well as midterms. By purchasing a planner and keeping everything written down, time management is a little more feasible. Also, another method could be having a calendar with an hourly schedule and to-do list.
By staying organized and planning out time for specific problems, students will run into less hangups.
Although it may seem overwhelming, studying for midterms will pay off when students receive their grades. Nothing will feel better than hard work finally paying off.
