By A&E Editor: Madison Deadman

Here it is. The week we all have been dreading the most. The week we continue to put off and procrastinate. The week of 3 a.m. study sessions and mental breakdowns. That’s right, midterms. I personally do not handle this week very well; however, I think I handle it in a similar manner than most students.

Are you up hours on end making flashcards and finishing each review packet until the very last minute, cramming all of the information you daydreamed through into your already overloaded brain? I believe this is how most of us take care of business.

I am not here to tell you the things we hear year after year since our very first MEAP test: get a good night’s sleep, eat a good breakfast, and prepare weeks ahead of time, because in reality, that is not how it works. As teenagers we just do not function like that.

First of all, what is sleep? This activity is unknown to us students, especially during exam week. I have learned so many new things the night before a test that I benefited me during the test. There are certain things that we miss or can’t completely wrap our heads around in class so we memorize them word for word. That’s what cramming means. How can you take a test without having memorized some of the study material prior? There are certain things like elements on the periodic table, for example, that you cannot understand. There is no reasoning behind them; you simply must memorize them.

“Now, you can use mnemonics to learn various things but it’s still cramming whether you’re using memorization techniques or sticking to repetitive recital. To go through exams and tests without any cramming at all, is impossible,” an anonymous writer says on Debatewise.

Understanding how you learn best and recognizing your learning habits are a keys to success. Everybody learns differently. Instead of just listening to your teacher lecture and take notes, which involves auditory learning, find a way to go over the information both verbally and visually. By doing these things it will engrain the information into your head by using different sections of the brain.

According to Judy Willis, a board-certified neurologist, “The more regions of the brain that store data about a subject, the more interconnection there is. This redundancy means students will have more opportunities to pull up all of those related bits of data from their multiple storage areas in response to a single cue.”

Prioritize what you need to study and what you already know. If you are struggling more in one class put more time into studying. If you are doing well in one class and passing with flying colors, you may not need to put as much energy into preparing as you would for the other classes that are more difficult for you. Staying organized and keeping an organized binder year-round will make it easier for you to go over the material and help you fill out study guides.

All in all, put as much effort into your exams as you can. Like they always say, practice makes perfect. I wish you all luck and hope you find the best strategies that work best for your personal self.