SU students give midterm study tips

 
October 1 marks the beginning of midterm week for Southern University, students and staff shed light on study habits and best practices in preparation for the week of testing ahead.
Center for Student Success encourages students to be proactive before midterm since tutors are unable to work during midterm week.
“That’s why the office constantly pushes the whole idea of being proactive and preventive versus reactive and remedial.  If students make sure they’re on track prior to midterm, they’ll minimize the need of assistance during midterms’ week,” Nadia Gadson, director of CSS said.
According to Gadson, CSS is helping and assisting students daily with over five tutors available and more than one tutoring session a day.
Gadson said, that there are three ways that students can prepare for midterms through their services.  The early alert system, tutoring and study groups.
“All of these things would be done up until midterms,” said Gadson.  “Unfortunately, because many of our students receive some form of financial aid in order to be in school, the government puts days on when they can work.  So that means that my tutors and my study groups are not on staff during midterm periods.”
Gadson said midterm week is the ideal time that students want to come to utilize their services and assistance.
Some students have their own ideas of what makes their personal study sessions successful.
Ashley Green, a masters business administration graduate from Hahnville, La., said that her best test taking tips are time management and reading through notes.
“Time management would be definitely be mine.  I would suggest read through and as you read through, take notes, and as you take the notes, review so if you do have to go back for the test or the day of, you have those quick-ready references as to oppose to having to read through the whole chapter.  By that, I don’t mean by just highlighting the big bold words.  Those would be my study secrets.  It works for me.”
Green said.
Katina Webb, a business management major from Zachary, La., said, “My test taking tips are just, basically, staying focused.”
Webb said that it’s best for some students to write everything the teacher says so that they could study better.
Katrina Legaux, a junior business management major from Zachary, La., said, “I pay attention to the view points of whatever I have to study and I always mark points off, certain things that catches my eye.  And that’s how I study.”
Joshua Brown, a freshman music major form New Orleans study groups and breaking problems down to simple form works well for him.
“My tip is to form a study group.  You can take a problem and break it down to its lowest term.  You could always go back to your teacher too,” Brown said.
When confusion strikes, Brown turns to the simplest terms.
 ”If I had a harder problem, I’ll take the simplest way.  It’s all about the simplest way to a problem,” said Brown.
Briana Jernigan, a sophomore mass communications major from Little Rock, Ark., said being comfortable while studying is important more than peace and quiet.
“Some of the study tips I would offer were to make sure you’re in a comfortable surrounding.  It doesn’t always have to be quiet.  Just make sure you’re doing something you’re comfortable with.  If you have to leave your room, you might want to go to your suite area, that’s if you don’t want to go far,” Jernigan said.
Jernigan said that students should try to go over what they don’t know instead of repeating everything they do know and to review what you need help with.
“Usually, when I’m studying or making a sheet to study on, go over the things I don’t know and I might concentrate on that,” Jernigan said. “Before I go in for a test, I might review so I would just say go over the things you don’t know instead of the things you do know.”
The Center for Student Success offers resources for students who need assistance they are located in Stewart Hall room 107.