Digest Art
Midterm season is approaching quickly, which can be extremely stressful for many, and Southern students are no exception. Now more than ever, it’s common for students to experience test anxiety, which can negatively affect test performance. Instead of allowing fear to take over, it is helpful for students to remain calm and prepare appropriately while there is still time.
Anxiety surrounding tests is normal, but overall mental health has a direct effect on how anxious a student may be and their test performance. It is crucial that students allow themselves time to rest and relax between studying, classes, or potential extracurricular activities. With a rested and relaxed mind students can think clearly and approach a test with more focus. Knowing how to combat personal anxiety is half the battle. Sophomore Gabriel Wilson combats his midterm anxiety through mindfulness, saying, “I just breathe, and make sure I prepare before. I make sure to go over everything covered thus far and pray.”
Midterm anxiety is commonly a result of overthinking while feeling underprepared, leading to a student feeling overwhelmed. One of the best ways to combat anxiety is to study thoroughly according to your individual learning style. There are four main learning styles including visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic. Tailoring study habits to these styles can improve retention of information. Additionally, it is much easier to study with a large course load by breaking your studies down into sections by class or level of understanding. Computer Science professor Dr. Lynette Jackson recommends to students, “Adopt active learning strategies that go beyond rereading notes: Start early and organize a review calendar and use feedback from previous assignments to identify weaknesses.”
In the age of technology, online study materials such as Quizlet, Kahoot, YouTube, and more are many students’ go-to study tools. Junior Jabari Johnson explains, “I use Quizlet, go to my professor’s office hours, make a detailed study schedule and stick to it.” Other popular study methods include active recall using flash cards, studying with a group from class, or AI assistance. ChatGPT is commonly used as a tool for cheating, but it can also be beneficial to create study materials such as study guides or practice tests to help students prepare for the test environment.
Though studying has seemingly become simpler, anxiety and procrastination can make the task of studying seem much more daunting than it truly is. Procrastination can be unintentional, and it doesn’t always look like avoiding schoolwork to do nothing—it can also look like avoiding schoolwork by doing other work. It is vital to be able to notice when you are unintentionally procrastinating, redirect yourself, and return to the task at hand.