STUDY STRATEGIES FOR MIDTERMS How to balance productivity and

mental health
PREPARATION
1. MAKE TO DO LISTS
Take a moment to sit down and compile a
list of all of the school-related responsibilities
you for the upcoming week. Make sure your
due dates and exam times are accurate before
dividing up the tasks by date and availability.

Why should you do this?

- Keeps you organized and on-task
- Helps you prioritize!
- Helps you break up large tasks into
managable chunks
- Makes it easier for you to tailor your study
schedule to your "focus level"
2. GATHER YOUR MATERIALS
Before you actually sit down to study, take a moment to gather all
of the materials you will need in order to effectively study each
subject. This might include an exam review guide, a practice packet,
old notes, or old assignment sheets. Divide these resources into subject
piles and keep them in a designated study folder

Why should you do this?

- Allows you to keep track of your study materials at all times
- Opens up more opportunities for studying
 3. SET A CUT-OFF TIME
Determine a reasonable time for the
day's studying session to end and stick to
it! Boundaries are important in all aspects
of your life, your school-life balance is no
different.

Why should you do this?

- Encourages you to make the most of the
study time you have
- Prevents you from staying up too late
which, in turn, allows you to feel refreshed
and focused the next day
STUDYING
1. UTILIZE THE POMODORRO TECHNIQUE
Why should you do this?
- Forces you to take "brain breaks" that prevent burnout
- Creates a cycle of productivity! (Trust me, this is VERY effective)
2. TRACK YOUR PROGRESS
Remember those lists you made earlier?
Use them! As soon as you've finished a task,
go back to your list and mark it off. This will
act as a visual reminder of everything you've
accomplished and everything you still have to
do.

Why should you do this?

- Keeps you motivated
- Keeps you accountable
3. LISTEN TO MUSIC
Put some music on in the background! Just
make sure that it doesn't distract you from
your work. (Instrumental music is the best for
this. There are plenty of study playlists on
youtube to choose from. Make good use of
them!)

Why should you do this?

- Makes studying feel less like a chore
- Provides you with something specific to
tune out (if you want to)
4. REWARD YOURSELF
At the beginning of your study session,
identify one reward you're going to treat
yourself to when you've accomplished
everything you wanted to or are able to for
the day. This could be a special snack, an
episode of your favorite show, an extra hour
of sleep, etc.

Why should you do this?

- Keeps you motivated
- Keeps you on-task
- Forces you to practice self-care
CRAMMING
4. SELECTIVE REVIEW
Before your exam begins, identify five
pieces of information that you may be
struggling with and create a concise summary of
each to commit to memory. Assign each piece of
information to a different finger on your
hand. Repeat the summary to yourself nine times
as you hold up the selected finger and look at
it. When you get to that information on the
exam, repeat this exercise to complete the
group of ten.

Why should you do this?

- Refreshes your memory
- Provides a distraction from pre-test nerves