Whether you're new to campus or a seasoned Hawkeye, midterm season can feel overwhelming. But with the right strategies, you can study smarter, reduce stress, and show up confident on exam day. The experts at Learning at Iowa have your back with study tips that actually work. And if you need a little extra support, the Academic Support page is packed with resources to help you stay on track.

Ready to level up your study game? Let’s go.

Three effective midterm preparation strategies

1. Identify your priorities and understand the “task demands” for your courses.

To plan effectively and prioritize your time, focus on the “task demands” of each course. For example, will you need to recall facts for a multiple-choice exam or write an in-class essay with notes? Identifying what your instructor expects, and how they will evaluate you, should guide how you prepare for the exam. 

You can find this information in the course syllabus, grading rubrics, and on the course ICON site. Research has shown that students who plan this way have a clearer understanding of what they should be learning and often perform better on exams (Hong et al., 2020). So, review this information carefully before you dive into studying and align your preparation with the tasks.

2. Monitor and evaluate.

You are a busy college student! Make your study time as effective and productive as possible by using metacognitive monitoring and evaluating. 

Monitoring

As you study, ask yourself, is there anything you are confused about? Are you staying focused? Do you need to take advantage of office hours, tutoring, or Supplemental Instruction?

Evaluating

Don't wait until you get your grades back to evaluate whether your current study strategies are working. Regularly ask yourself: what worked well? What did not work well? How do I know? What can I do differently next time?

Continue to develop your metacognitive skills with these resources.

3. Instead of simply re-reading, test yourself.

Decades of research indicates that testing yourself, also known as retrieval practice, enhances memory. Actively recalling information is more effective than passive rereading notes or just highlighting your textbook, which can lead to overconfidence in how well you understand the material. 

Testing yourself engages your brain more, leading to better long-term understanding and helping you identify gaps in your knowledge. This way, you can for clarifications during office hours and know what to review next. Before your next exam, try one of these strategies:

• Use flashcards/Quizlet.
• Create your own study guides and practice tests or create practice problems and new examples.
• Make flow charts or other visual representations of the material.
• Brain dump: write out everything you know about the topic without looking at your notes.

To maximize the benefits, respond on your own before checking your answers. Wait to flip the flashcard, describe the concept without looking at your notes, and solve practice problems without peeking at the answers. This might feel more challenging, but it leads to a better understanding and reduces the likelihood you will forget the material when exam time comes.