For any college student, there are two things that are certain: a midterm and a final. Everything else is just a warm-up. While it is inevitable that students will feel nervous, anxious, and fearful with midterms around the corner, there are some helpful tips for surviving these portions of a class. And who better to ask than students right here at Skyline College who are either going through preparing for a midterm or have already taken their midterm?

Sandy Thammalangsy, a nursing major, says that she studies over her notes and uses index cards. Something to avoid, according to Thammalangsy, is to cram the night before or the morning of the exam, otherwise you won’t remember anything. There is one thing that Thammalangsy always does, however.

“I always study for more than an hour.”

Everybody has their own approaches and philosophies when it comes tackling the midterm. While Thammalangsy does extra studying, Ben Lopez figures that, if you are doing things right, then you are studying for the midterm before you even hear of it.

“It’s a cumulative thing” says Lopez, an English major. “If you go to class everyday and participate, then you are studying for the midterm.”

Tony Lucha, an animation major, says the key for him is to just “relax.” He says he studies for 30 minutes, going over what he knows and discovering what he really doesn’t know, and takes a 30 minute relaxing break. He then works on what he doesn’t know.

Some midterms aren’t exactly what one would expect. For example, Tony Ngov, who is a business management major, says that his midterm is an in-class essay, and so there is no way for him to really study for it outside of class. He did mention, however, that his professor gave the class an outline and talked them through the process of writing an essay. Maybe this goes back to Lopez’s maxim; that if you attend class each day, then you will be studying for your final.

Chandni Singh, nutrition major, suggests the tried and true method of studying ahead of time, going through your notes and the books for the class. She said that she was a little nervous before her midterm, but once she was finished, she could breathe a sigh of relief.

So, as the deadline for your midterm approaches, relax. Don’t stress out about it. Once it is over, it will seem just like anything else. Hopefully, the tips covered in this article will help your college experience go smoothly.