Checking In

What did you think of last week’s career panel?What did you learn from the panelists?

How was the career fair?How have these activities impacted your thinking about careeer?

Reminders:1. Focus Groups-if you commit

show up. Respond to Anisha2. Early Alerts going out3. Go to office hours4. Nametags with Team Name

BEFORE

After

STUDY

SKILLS

How to survive midterms and the rest of your college career

*HOPEFULLY* without failing

Where are

you now?

❏ How many midterms do you have and do you know when they are?

❏ Do you know how much each exam counts towards your grade?

❏ How did you study in the past?

❏ Did you take AP exams?❏ Have you started studying

yet?

High School

● Teachers gave out study guides

● There was usually extra credit● Classes lasted a whole year● You had quarter grades ● Teachers usually guided you

through studying for APs● You could buy study books for

AP exams● You can retake even your most

important exams- even the SATs.

College

● Most professors don’t give study guides

● Extra credit is a rare creature● Classes are only one semester● No one is going to tell you

when to start studying● Each exam is specific to UMBC

and the professor teaching it- there’s no book that will tell you how to ‘crack’ the exam.

● Makeup exams aren’t a thing

So maybe

you need to

make some

changes...

DON’T PANIC! KEEP CALM! With some planning, effort, a good night’s sleep, and a delicious breakfast before exams, success CAN be yours.

How to study

All you need to know, you DIDN’T learn in kindergarten

Make the most out

of your notes!

● This is all about dividing, and conquering.

● Separate into categories:○ Vocabulary and

Definitions○ Equations and Theorems○ Key concepts and topics○ Practice problems and

code snippets● Find some way to

differentiate each category○ color coding○ making flashcards for

vocab and equations○ study guides

Color Coding Example

Color Coding notes you already have makes them more usefulColor Coding flashcards, study sheets and study guides is even MORE useful

Flash Cards Examples

Old Fashioned- Writing out flashcards (color coding them helps!)Tech Savvy- Quizlet, Evernote Flip

Study Guides/Study Sheets

Forces you to look through all your notes and the textbook to find relevant information. This way you can just focus on the necessary info the couple of days before the exam.

Written Study Sheets

You need to make the most out of a small amount of space- but it also has to be legible and easy to navigate so you can find the information you need. Color coding is crucial here- Consider using a different color for: equationsvocabconstants/facts/datesseparate topics

How to not

burn out

Studying is important, but so is taking care of yourself. You can have all the knowledge in the world, but if you’re worn out, you won’t do your best.

Take care of

yourself- You are

worth more than

the exam

● Eat- not just junk. A healthy diet helps your brain work

● Drink water- dehydration decreases your ability to retain information, with symptoms similar to alzheimer's.

● Exercise- it improves brain function

● Sleep and relax

SLEEP- ‘All Nighters’ don’t work. You need sleep for your brain to function.

“A study conducted at St. Lawrence University in 2007 found the opposite, revealing that students who have never pulled an all-nighter boasted an average GPA of 3.1, and those who rely on the tactic to study had an average GPA of 2.9. “-

source: collegestats.org

You can’t

procrastinate

if you want to

sleep

● Plan out study times● Try to have all your

work done one day ahead of time

● Study groups hold you accountable to keeping a study schedule

There are tools to

help you!

The extension StayFocused for google chrome allows you to block websites that distract you or allow you to procrastinate! It has a lot of settings so you can figure out what works best for you!

30/30 is an app that you can use to portion out your time between breaks and studying, giving you a more structured schedule!

Find some

motivation- You

can’t just give

up

This is all about finding what works for you. Make studying fun. Focus on learning- not just the grade. Try setting goals, planning study sessions, joining a study group or rewarding yourself. Don’t become apathetic.

You CAN do this!

Some of us motivate ourselves with motivational images of our favorite tv characters.

Whatever works!

You will fail, and

that’s ok- learn from

it!

College is hard. You’re learning new things. This

is your first time going through all of this. Don’t

give up. Go to office hours, see why you failed,

get help, and improve!

In Class Activity:

Making a Study

Sheet

For your exam, you are allowed one study sheet of notes. To practice how to make the most of one sheet of paper, we’re going to practice

In your groups: Using both sides of the

whiteboard, map out how you would divide up the space on the paper based on the topics that will be covered on the exam. If you have time, start to jot down notes in these sections, focusing on the most important information first. Make sure to utilize color coding!