The Observer, February 29, 2008
Volume XL, Issue 19
Midterm meltdown
Every semester, I tell myself that I'm going to be a lot mellower. I'm going to pace my studying over the course of the semester so I don't get behind. I'm going to exercise every day. These resolutions are all very well and good, but about halfway through the semester, things start to unravel. I study in fits and bursts, and can't seem to get ahead. The closest I come to exercise is running late, and my meditation corner is inundated with dirty laundry, discarded quizzes, and assorted broken office supplies. My once-relaxed and carefree demeanor has been replaced with an outlook characterized by frenzied panic and crankiness. Jung would call this a mid-life crisis. I call it a typical midterm experience.
That's right, folks, midterms are here once again, and I am running scared. I recognize that midterms aren't that important, but often my attempts to reassure myself are largely inadequate. When I patiently and hypothetically ask myself, "What's the worst that could happen," it turns out the worst is pretty bad. If I fail a midterm, it won't be the end of the world, but I'll have to do really well on every other assignment and test to pass the class, and if I don't do that I'll end up failing a class, and since this is my last semester, that means I won't be able to graduate, and if I don't graduate, I won't be able to enter law school in the fall, and if I don't enter law school in the fall, I'll die of a broken heart.
Maybe that's a bit extreme, but I am shocked every year to realize how nervous I am when I enter the classroom to face the halfway point in my course. Despite my reading and preparation, I feel as though I'm living in that recurring nightmare where I show up to my psychology exam and the questions are all from higher level quantum mechanics. After a few moments of panic, everything is all right again – but when your academic life is flashing before your eyes, what can you do?
Well, if running around like a chicken with its head cut off is a poor solution, here are a few ideas:
Regain perspective. Obviously, I'm not the best example, but for people with more emotional self-control, a little perspective can go a long way. Think about the good things that have happened to you before the test(s) from hell, and the good things that will happen once the test is over, and you should have a breakthrough in no time!
Take care of yourself. Even before the test, make sure that things are going smoothly physically. Drink plenty of water – but not too much. Study sufficiently, but don't sacrifice too much sleep in the pursuit of knowledge. Be sure to eat a good breakfast, and wear comfortable clothes to maximize the test-taking experience.
Enjoy the test. It seems weird, but since you've put so much work into it, why not relish the opportunity you have to ace it? Tear through vocabulary, destroy the essay question (in a non-literal sense), and mock the incorrect multiple choice options. Why just take the test when you can triumphantly defeat it?
Hopefully my advice will be of help – if not, you can always cram, and rely on your lucky rabbit's foot to get you through the test unscathed. Happy studying, and make sure that you take the test before it can take you.
