QUEST Fall Semester 2011 Entry #24: "Championing Your Midterms!"

Championing Your Midterms!
Tips for knocking your midterms out of the park!
by Claudia Batson

Your Midterm exams are just around the corner and you might not be sure of: what you know, what you don’t know or whether you can ace those exams. Well fear not! Here are some helpful and proven (they’ve worked for me) tips to help you all prepare for and "knock those exams right outta the park!"

1) Prayer- 1 John 5:13-15
Yes, I know you might be wondering, “How can prayer help you prepare for your exams?” Without a doubt, I assure you prayer works for me every time! God wants to see us succeed in all that we do and prayer assists with this by first helping us to calm down and prepare our minds for the revision of lecture notes/practicing math problems (for those tough math classes). Pray with a specific purpose, asking God for His divine intervention in helping you focus on the course subject as a whole and then guiding you through your notes, drawing your attention to particular topics that you may generally overlook. Prayer helps to set the stage.

2) Revision/Study- 2 Timothy 2:15
Yes, “Studying”- You just can’t get away from it, but remember to be practical with it. If you’re like me, stuck in the paper/pen era and you like to see things written down, then get some paper and pen and draw/write your study schedule. If you fall in the lot of a modern day computer wiz (almost everyone) then use one of those savvy tech tools to prepare a study timetable on your computer with all those cool reminders and what not. Prepare a timetable with realistic goals. This can be achieved by first asking “How many hours can I commit to studying per night/day?” Give yourself a 1-hour limit on each course/ subject matter/lecture. Give yourself 15 mins breaks in between each session and stick with it! Make sure to include these items on your study schedule: Revision of Lecture Notes; Practice Questions; Extra-Reading, Break-Time. Once you’ve completed all tasks each day/week (and you were discipline without deviating) then you should reward yourself, e.g. - a sweet treat, a movie, games, or whatever your fancy.

3A) Interaction/Communication- Proverbs 15:22
Yes, be brave and seek counsel, advice, and ask questions from your lecturers/professors via direct contact (make appointment during their office hours), phone or e-mail (popular method). Do this without delay…either after class or while revising your notes. Asking questions and communicating with your lecturers/professors not only helps you get a better understanding of a topic, but you may get tips and ideas on what and how to study for their exams. Avoid shying away from contacting them with your questions or concerns because not only will they provide you with answers to questions, they might just end up giving you tips and ideas on what to, and how to study for their exams. Communicating with your lecturers/professors helps them to become acquainted with you and shows them that you are interested in performing well in their course. This will help you in the long run.

3B) Interaction- 1 Thessalonians 5:11
Yes, be bold and form a ‘serious’ study group- Set goals and standards for yourself and your group. You all can successfully achieve good grades when you hold each other accountable. For example, if your study schedule is focused on a particular chapter/lecture, ask the members to come prepared: read through the chapters/lectures for themselves and bring at least 2 questions either from what they read and might not have understood; questions they might have found online about the topic/subject or questions they formulated on their own, based on their understanding of the topic/subject. In this way, a challenge is brought to everyone and you are bound to have a productive session each time.

4) Peace- John 14:27 and Isaiah 41:10
Yes, more prayer. Pray asking God to remove all fear and give you peace for each exam. Becoming anxious and frustrated will only cause you to become distracted and you may forget everything you revised, causing you to not do as well as you anticipated. Remember, you will perform well, once you have prepared well.
Deuteronomy 28:13

It is God’s will for us to be on top of every task we undertake, but we need to make sure we are ready. Therefore, we are in place and filled with the necessary knowledge and understanding ready for him to intervene and use us to declare His glory to the world. So go ahead and represent God’s glory to the world in the way you handle and excel in your studies!

Blog Entry By: Claudia Batson (QUEST/YAM Hospitality Leader)

Claudia Batson is currently functioning as a leader in Quest/YAM Hospitality Ministry. She has been heavily committed and involved in Youth Ministry: leading, training, mentoring and serving in International missions for eight years. She stems from an academic background initially centered on Veterinary Medicine studies at the Royal Veterinary College, University of London; this later transitioned into her focus of Biomedical Science-Pharmacological Sciences concentration at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Claudia is currently evolving her focus to specifically dedicate time for spiritual development, mentorship and fellowship with young adults as this has become one of her primary missions in the fulfillment of her heavenly calling.