7 Ways to Bounce Back from Midterms

By Christine Ascher on April 6, 2018

When midterm season finally comes to an end, most students probably feel one of two emotions: relief, or worry. If you feel confident in how your midterms went, then you can afford to take a bit of a break once your exams are over.

However, if your midterms did not go as well as you had hoped, you may need to do a bit of extra work to bounce back and to ensure that you finish the semester off with the grade you want. If you’re feeling nervous after your midterms, don’t worry: there’s still plenty of time to catch up and improve your grades before the semester ends. Check out some of these tips to get started.

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1. Consider a Tutor

If you’re not sure that just putting in the extra study hours will help you bounce back, you may want to consider finding a tutor who can help you out. Getting the one-on-one attention that a tutor offers can go a long way in helping you improve your grades. In addition to having someone to answer your questions and to take extra time to explain concepts that you don’t understand, having a tutor will also just ensure that you spend a certain amount of time each week focusing specifically on that subject.

2. Create a Schedule

One place where students can easily go wrong throughout the semester is with their time management. It can be hard to keep up with all of the homework, reading assignments, and studying that needs to be done for each class, and once you start to get behind it becomes increasingly difficult to catch up. To make sure that you stay on top of everything following your midterms, try creating a schedule for yourself including all of the work you need to get done for each class on a day-to-day basis. Make sure that you set reasonable goals for yourself, as this will make you more likely to stick to them.

3. Talk to Your Professors

Though you may feel a bit intimidated by the idea of talking to your professor if you haven’t done well on a midterm, they’re definitely one of your best resources. Ask them what they think that you need to do to boost your grade, and ask them any concepts that you might still be having trouble with. Remember that your professors are probably used to talking to students who are trying to get their grades up, so there’s nothing to be embarrassed about!

4. Reread Your Textbook

Once your midterms are over, you’ll probably experience a bit of a lull in your schoolwork for a little while. Instead of taking it easy, take advantage of this lighter workload to go over your reading assignments. Even if you did all of your readings before your exam, it’s a good idea to reread the parts of your textbook that you’re still having trouble with, to ensure that you have important concepts down when it comes time for your final. If possible, use this time to get ahead on your reading assignments as well to ensure that you can get a good grasp on the material ahead as well.

5. Find a Study Group

One great way to help you bounce back from midterms is by joining a study group. Finding other students in your class to study with will help you stay motivated, as you’ll have a group of people to make sure that you don’t get distracted when studying. In addition, being part of a study group means that you’ll have the chance to ask your peers questions and bounce ideas off of them. When you have a few different people in your group, chances are some of them will understand concepts that you’re having trouble with, and you’ll be able to learn from them.

6. Find a Better Study Space

The key to productive studying is finding the right place for it; if you didn’t do well on your midterms because you had trouble focusing while you were studying, try to find a new study space where distractions are at a minimum. It helps if you can find a space where you enjoy being—if the library isn’t right for you, try a local coffee shop or a quiet spot on campus.

7. Use Your School’s Resources

If you’re halfway through the semester and your grades aren’t where you want them to be, it’s probably time to check out some of the resources that your university has to offer. Many schools offer free tutoring in a variety of subjects, often by students who have already taken the classes that you’re now in, or by graduate students. If you’re not sure what resources are available on campus, talk to your professor or fellow classmates to find out.

It can be difficult to stay motivated following the stress of midterms, especially if they haven’t gone as you’d planned. Remember that it’s not too late to get your grades back up, provided that you put in the necessary work now!

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