by Claire Kim
One of the (less) big testing weeks of the school year is rapidly approaching. Midterm week takes place during the last week of January. Your teachers may have already confirmed or dismissed the possibility of having to come in. Some teachers may be doing a midterm in class. Others may call you in during the week to do a cumulative test right before the end of the first semester.
There are several academical benefits for midterms: first off, it lets you practice taking a test under timed conditions, just like you’ll have to do during your final in June. Secondly, it provides a good benchmark for how well you’re learning the material so far in the year. And third, it expands and elaborates on the testing environment that primary education has been thriving in.
Some teachers like to do midterms in class, or assign a packet of cumulative review over a period of time. These are also good benchmarks in determining your progress in a class. With the added time allotment, you have also been given the gift of another grade in the grade book. Hopefully it helps you out.
So, wow! Your teacher decided to give you an actual midterm? As in going to school over during the midterm week and taking a 3-ish hour midterm? What are you going to do? Don’t panic. It’s a test, not a determining factor for your entire life. Even after the fact and the grade, you have time to figure out what you’re struggling with and fix it for the final. If you’re feeling pretty spiffy and want to do well on the midterm, here’s a couple tips:
- Relax. Just–don’t freak out. There is nO NEED TO FREAK OUT. Maybe when you get to AP week, or Finals week, you can freak out. Those are the tests that help decide the rest of your life. Sort of.
- Study. If you want to do well, though, you’re probably already used to studying. Keep on going.
- If you’re really gung-ho about this midterm stuff, you could even go into it like it’s the real thing! Eat a healthy breakfast, complete with all five major food groups. Bring two (or three, or ten) freshly sharpened #2 yellow pencils. Infuse the testing room with top-notch anxiety.
Either, way, the midterm week is only a brief respite from the hectic and insane life of a East student. If you don’t have exams, then enjoy the four-day break from school. If you do, best of luck from the East Side! We have confidence in you!
