A Bear's Life: Student Stories

Student stories from our peer counselors

Planning for Success During Finals Week (Spring 2024, Week 16)

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Welcome back to another blog, Missouri State Bears! This week marks the last week of the spring semester with finals following. Each semester has looked different for me depending on my final schedule and I have found that to be true for other students as well. In this blog, I wanted to discuss what a finals week can look like and ideas to implement throughout the week. 

 

Start of the Week

At the start of the week, I would advise all students to create a schedule of finals, studying times, planned breaks, and other activities. Having a plan at the start of the week will hold you accountable and keep you on track to success. All professors will communicate when the class final or project is due and this will help create a timeline of what courses will need to be prioritized before others. Once you have an agenda of when finals will be tested and when projects and papers are due you can create a study schedule and implement brain breaks. I have found this to be an extremely helpful practice because you can ensure that you study in even increments of time and take fair amounts of breaks. 

 

Middle of the Week

At midweek you may have already taken a final or you may be on your last day of preparation before heading into one. If you have already taken one or many, pat yourself on the back and take a moment to reflect. Reflecting on all of your hard work and what you took away from the course will aid you in your next endeavors. If you are still preparing for finals that take place at the end of the week, remember to look back at your schedule of studying. Looking back at what you wrote at the start of the week will allow you to see if you have stayed on track with what you planned to achieve by this point. 

 

End of the Week

You made it! You completed a semester of hard work that you should be proud of and celebrate. I hope that everyone has great success during finals week, but I also know that finals week can be a hard week with final grades being determined. Regardless of your results at the end of the semester, if you feel that you would benefit from meeting with someone to discuss your options, joys, or concerns you should consider the Center for Academic Succes and Transition. Success Coaches and Peer Mentors are available to meet with students through request or drop-in hours. (Drop-in hours change every semester; see the Student Academic Assistance page for this semester’s hours.) Come by and see us in Meyer Library 116 if you need help or have a question!  

 

Takeaways 

If preparation is completed beforehand, finals week does not have to be a week to be afraid of. Before next week, write out all of your end-of-semester requirements and deadlines, plan study times, and plan brain breaks. Stay strong throughout the week utilizing the resources offered at Missouri State University including meeting with a Success Coach or Peer Mentor. Good luck!

 

~Aubrey

(Bio: My name is Aubrey Hardy, a junior studying special needs education. Fun fact: I grew up on a farm.)

Surviving Midterms (Spring 2024, Week 7)

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Welcome back Missouri State Bears! We are already at week seven of the semester which means it is midterm season. When outlining my assignments for the week I realized I had several study guides to create and terms to study before the week ahead. Coming into college, I viewed midterms as a daunting task that I needed survival mode turned on. I have learned that with good study habits and preparation, midterms don’t have to be anything to fear but instead something to manage. 

Plan Ahead

The first tip I have for midterms is knowing enough time in advance when you will be tested. You can find most midterm dates in the syllabus of the class. I find it easiest to write all important assignment dates in my planner including midterms. You can pick up a free 2023-2024 planner in the CAST office if you need a fresh slate for writing important tasks out. Once you have the task written out you can better map out a schedule of when to start studying. 

Schedule Study Times

Setting aside designated time to study for each test will ensure that you complete the studying but it will also help avoid the feeling of being overwhelmed. I personally don’t study well in groups but for those who do, I advise planning at least two weeks in advance. Two weeks gives the group enough time to bring questions back to the classroom before taking the exam which is key. While you should have an understanding of the content being tested it is okay to ask questions for clarity.

Utilize Office Hours

One tip that I think many students tend to skip over until they hit survival mode is meeting with professors. Don’t wait until the week of or after the midterm to have a conversation with your professor. In the weeks leading up to the exam if you find yourself struggling or wanting further guidance, attend study hours. If fear arrives at the thought of meeting one-on-one with a professor, try practicing first with a friend or a peer mentor. A peer mentor is an undergraduate student who wants to meet and help students combat these fears and other issues that arise as college students.

Takeaways 

Midterms are designed to enhance your understanding, not to instill fear. So as midterms are just around the corner be sure to plan ahead, schedule study times, and utilize office hours.

~Aubrey

(Bio: My name is Aubrey Hardy, a junior studying special needs education. Fun fact: I grew up on a farm.)

Getting Ready for Midterms (Spring 2022, Week 8)

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Midterms Are Coming

Around this point in the semester, I can feel the stress coming on. The thought of our midterm exams is something easy to stress about, but can be manageable if prepared for correctly! Today, I want to share some easy strategies to help you get ready for your midterms this spring semester!

Better to be Early than Late

Everyone knows that it is better to be early than late in many situations. Luckily, studying for midterms is no different. Even though some classes may not have midterms for a couple weeks, it is a good idea to start studying early. This is due to a lot of reasons such as:

  • Allowing more time to cover content thoroughly
  • Better metacognition or being aware of what you do and don’t know
  • Reduced anxiety about not having enough time to study
  • Better chance at doing well on the exam

Even though it’s difficult to get going early, give it a try and see if it works for you!

Find a Study Buddy

Believe it or not, you aren’t the only one stressed about midterms. Your classmates are too! Because of this, it is a great idea to find others to study with. Being able to work with you classmates can allow you to:

  • Keep each other motivated to study
  • Learn about how other people understand content, which can also help you
  • Divide up work to make it less daunting on everyone
  • Teach each other content, which is one of the best ways to learn

Working alone can be scary and stressful, so try and reach out to a couple peers to see if you can study together for you upcoming midterms

Stay Organized

With everything going on around this time, it is good to stay organized. It’s common to have more than one midterm a week, and maybe even some on the same day. Because of this, it is good to keep things organized. Some ways to do this are:

  • Keeping a schedule of all the exams you will take
  • Listing out the content that needs to be covered for each exam
  • Scheduling time dedicated to studying
  • Making space for taking breaks during preparation for exams

Being able to stay organized won’t only make you do better, but it can also help reduce the stress that you will feel approaching test day!

As always, thank you so much for reading my post and I hope this gives you some helpful ways to prepare for midterms this spring. Have a great day!

Previous Posts for Midterm and Exam Preparation

Spring 2021 Finals Week – Alexandria

Spring 2021 Week 14 – Michael

Fall 2020 Week 10 – Michael

Fall 2020 Midterm – Rhiannon

 

(BIO: My name Is Michael Rexroad, a transfer student from Metropolitan Community College in Kansas City. I am a senior currently studying cell and molecular biology with a minor in chemistry and biomedical science.)

Tips and Tricks for Relieving Stress and Studying (Spring 2021, Finals Week)

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Tips and Tricks for Relieving Stress and Studying

Hello Fellow Bears, we are currently coming to the end of the semester and are starting our finals. I am always trying to figure out the best ways to study while keeping myself from stressing out to the point that I do not succeed or my grades turn out poorly.

I am going to give you a few tips for studying but also some stress-relieving tips. Your education is important but so is your mental health and if you find yourself struggling, this information could be a big help. These tips and tricks can be used anytime, not just for finals. I’ll be using them next month when I take a summer course for accounting

  1. Keep Track.

I have learned the hard way that making sure all of your work is completed is the best thing you can do for yourself. You want to make sure that you are earning all the points you can for the semester and staying up to date with what you need to know for exams.

  1. Review.

Final exams usually consist of the things that we learned during the semester, so going over that information can be extremely helpful. Surprisingly, not everyone looks over the class materials but doing so can make things easier. Professors may utilize the same questions or ideas from the material or just flip it around to challenge you with what you studied.

  1. Use resources.

You cannot always study the same way for each of your classes; the material in each class might be harder or easier or have different amounts of materials that need to be studied. Take advantage of the resources on campus or any electronic resources that can help you better prepare. Resources like your phone’s note-taker and calendar can be useful, along with websites like Khan Academy, Quizlet, EasyBib and Chegg. Some websites and apps feature tools that you can use to create your own notes, test your knowledge of the material and keep you on track with your own schedule.

  1. Take a break.

Studying is important for any test or exam but that is not going to mean much if you get burnt out over the material. Studying in increments of up to twenty to thirty minutes with a break in between can help you to better retain the information and remember what you studied. You can always change the duration of each break if you prefer a longer or shorter one.

  1. Sleep.

Make sure that you are getting enough sleep and preserving your energy because you cannot do as much if you are tired and can’t keep your eyes open. You do not want to miss out on any study time, be late for an exam or be sleepy during those exams.

  1. Ask questions.

Even though it is the end of the semester, it is still important that you ask if you have any questions. Having as much clarity as possible can help set your mind at ease and clear up any confusion. The pandemic has changed quite a few things so if you do not know something or just need more help to understand specific material, do not be afraid to ask or approach your professor.

Almost done.

The summer is quickly approaching, and I am proud of the fact that I have made it through these last few semesters online.

If you are graduating, I wish you the best in your future endeavors and if you are continuing on during or after the summer, I know that you can succeed to get to whatever you have set your mind on.

~Alexandria

(Bio: I’m the middle child of seven kids in my immediate family. I’m currently a junior business major at Missouri State University.)