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What makes a midterm so different from a test or quiz? It is the amount of information of course. A high school midterm covers about five months of content whereas; a college midterm may only cover two months. In both cases, a midterm is heavily weighted and can have a big impact on your term grade – positively or negatively.  But don’t panic, here are seven tips to help you work your way through the review and you can find more help on our Facebook page.

1. Get your confidence up by reviewing the most recent information first. If you have any tests, quizzes or other assignments that you can use, it is important to review them too.

2. Chunk down the information into manageable pieces and create an outline or a mind map (web) with key concepts. The brain remembers color, shapes, placement, words and numbers in that order so anytime you can use those things to add to your mind map or notes you are helping your brain remember. Review by covering up a section and repeating. For you auditory learners, you can use a digital recorder or create an mp3 of your notes and play it back.

3. Study in one hour blocks and take a 10-15 minute break to allow your brain to process the new information.

4. Studying is not about rereading…interact somehow with the information. Ask yourself questions, group facts together, draw a timeline, etc.

5. Don’t cram, it doesn’t work. Space out your studying over the week and do a short review of the topics covered the day before and then continue on.

6. Keep good health habits of eating, sleeping and drinking plenty of water (the brain loves it) and also get some exercise – it stirs up the dopamine in your brain which helps it to think.

7. Lastly, relax and breathe. If you get stressed your body sends out cortisol, the stress hormone, and that can interfere with your ability to think clearly. Stay calm….and you WILL get through it. Good luck.

If you found these tips helpful and would like to learn other study skills and homework strategies, then check out our daily email program to end homework hassle.

Happy New Year! I wish you a year that is all you want it to be. Have you thought about what you would like 2012 to be like? If you reflect back on 2011 as you think about this you may see some things that you want less of. For instance, less stress, less overtime, less excess weight, etc. But instead focus on the positives of what your life would look like and the kind of person you would need to become to have that.

2012 is a brand new year and the opportunity is there for each of us to make it our best year ever. How do you do that? By the choices (ie decisions) you make every moment. You may not even realize you are making a choice because it happens so often throughout the day. But as you start to pay attention, you’ll notice the opportunity to make a wise choice/decision rather than not thinking about it at all. That’s like automatically accepting the “default” setting on your life.

For example, to have less weight, maybe you would need to protect/guard/improve your health. It’s not a resolution I will lose 10 pounds this year, but more of a promise to yourself to protect your health by the choices you make. You would be surprised at the number of opportunities you have throughout the day to “protect your health.” Should I work out, should I take the elevator or the stairs, should I bring my lunch or buy it? Choices you make each and every day that either help or hinder your health.

So, no more resolutions! Instead pick several areas of your life that are important to you and see if you can put them into short phrases that are easy to remember. Then this month focus on the positives, the “wiser” choices you make, and keep track of how you do. I have used Darren Hardy’s Weekly Rhythm Register in the past because you can adapt it to fit your needs. However, this year I am using Joe’s goals so I can keep track on my phone and/or computer. Here are just three of the things I am tracking this year. I will protect my health, respect my boundaries and complete my top five priorities each day. The overriding theme for this year for me is “choices, not excuses!” By tracking those things (and a few more) I feel it will make a difference in my life and also in the kind of person I am. Besides, focusing on what I am doing feels so much better than focusing on what I am not doing.

So, what’s it going to be for you this year? Let me know in the comment box below and let’s get this discussion going.

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