Mid-term exams: how to plan study schedules, make the most of tutoring sessions and find academic support

Mid-term exams usually set the real pace of the semester: assignments, deliverables and several exams concentrated in a few weeks. If you're not well organised, it's easy to end up studying at the last minute, getting little sleep and underperforming.

In this article you'll find out how to study for mid-term exams more strategically:

• How to design study schedules
• How to get the most out of tutoring sessions and contact with teachers
• How to find extra academic support (peers, study groups, online resources and spaces in halls of residence)

Before you start: subject and date map

Before designing study schedules for exams, you need an overview of the semester:

1. List of subjects

Write down all the subjects with mid-term exams.

2. Key dates

• Approximate date of the mid-term (or range of weeks)
• Important assignments to be handed in around the same time
• Presentations, internships, etc.

3. Weight of the mid-term in the final grade

Not all subjects weigh equally. Indicate whether the mid-term is worth 20%, 30%, 50% or more.

4. Level of difficulty and your actual situation

• Which ones are you weakest in?
• Which ones do you feel most confident in?

With this, you'll be able to prioritise and not make the typical mistake: dedicating more hours to your best subject, while leaving the one that weighs more or that's more difficult for the end.

 

How to study for mid-term exams: a phased approach

Studying for mid-term exams is not just "memorising notes". It works best if you approach it in phases:

Phase 1: Organisation and basic understanding (2-3 weeks before)

• Get your notes, presentations and exercises together.
• Check the syllabus covered in the mid-term (sometimes not all the content given to date is included in the exam).
• Do a first active reading:
  • Underlines key ideas
  • Mark doubts and unclear concepts
• Try to summarise each topic on a sheet or in a simple summary.

Goal of this phase: be clear about what's covered, what you understand and what you don't understand.

Phase 2: Deeper learning and practice (1-2 weeks before)

Here you go from "seeing" the syllabus to working on it:

• Do exam-type exercises (if it's a problem-based subject).
• Create flashcards for definitions, formulas or concepts.
• Explain a topic out loud as if you were teaching it to someone else.
• Do mini practice exams: 20-30 minutes answering questions without notes.

Goal of this phase: to detect gaps and practice the exam format (multiple-choice, essay, problems, etc.).

Phase 3: Last minute revision (3-5 days before)

• Revise summaries and flashcards, don't start new topics.
• Prioritise:
  • Typical exam questions
  • Frequent errors in previous years
• Do a short active revision each day (30-40 minutes per key subject).

Goal: to consolidate what you've already worked on and have the information fresh in your mind, not to saturate yourself with new things.

Designing study schedules for exams (and surviving)

A good mid-term study schedule has three characteristics: it is realistic, specific and flexible.

Realistic: how many hours you can devote

Don't fill your schedule with 4-hour study blocks that you'll never follow.

Better:

• Blocks of 50-60 minutes of study
• Breaks of 5-10 minutes
• 1 longer rest block every 2-3 hours

Remember:

• Classes, internships and travel
• Work, sport or other fixed activities

From there, calculate how many real hours you can spend each day studying and distribute them.

Specific: what you do in each block

Instead of putting "Study maths", specify:

• "Topic 3: exam-type exercises (problems 1-5)"
• "Revise summaries Topic 2 - neuroanatomy"
• "Make definition cards for Topic 4"

The more specific you are, the less time you spend thinking "what do I do now".

Flexible: adjustability

Leave some free time in your week (e.g. Friday afternoon or a weekend morning) for:

• Recovering what you haven't been able to do
• Adding extra revision if a subject is more complicated

 

Making the most of tutoring sessions: much more than "going for the grade"

A key part of studying for mid-term exams is knowing how to take advantage of tutoring sessions and contact with teachers.

Before the tutoring session

Go prepared:

• Take a list of specific doubts:
  • "I don't understand why this formula is being applied in this exercise and not the other one."
  • "What's the most common type of question asked in the exam on this topic?"
• Check your notes beforehand: tutoring is not about repeating an entire class.

During the session

• Ask for examples of exam questions or topics that are often key.
• Ask for clarifications on correction criteria:
  • What scores more?
  • Which errors are highly penalised?
• If you've already done exercises or practice exams, show your attempts: this is the most useful way to be corrected.

After the session

• Write all relevant points in your notes.
• Adjust your study plan:
  • Emphasise topics that the teacher has identified as important.
  • Work on the mistakes you've been told about.

Finding academic support: don't study in a bubble

In addition to your teacher and notes, you can rely on other resources:

Study groups (well organised)

A study group works if:

• There's a clear goal: revise Topic X, resolve doubts about problems Y, etc.
• It doesn't become an impromptu get-together with no focus.
• It's organised in blocks of time and not endless marathons.

You can use these groups to:

• Explain topics to each other (explaining helps to internalise content).
• Share study strategies and exams from previous years (always respecting university rules).

If you live in a hall of residence, shared study rooms are ideal for this type of session. At Canvas World there are comfortable spaces designed to study whenever you need to.

University resources

• Open access classrooms
• Libraries with extended opening hours during exam periods
• Mentoring or support programmes between students from different classes
• Check your faculty's website: often there are more resources than are used.

Online tools and support

• Platforms with test exercises
• YouTube channels with explanations of specific topics
• Flashcards apps to revise in your spare time

The key is that these tools complement your notes, not replace them.

 

Study and rest: the balance that's often not respected

During mid-terms, the typical mistake is to cut back on sleep. In the short term you seem to "buy time", but in the medium term:

• You perform worse in exams
• You forget what you've studied more quickly
• You find it harder to concentrate

When designing your study schedules for exams, it's important to get:

• 7-8 hours of sleep (in general)
• Some real rest time (walking, doing sport, disconnecting)

If you live in a hall of residence with a gym or communal areas, such as those at Canvas World, taking advantage of these spaces for an active break can go a long way to keeping your head clear between study blocks.

Your study environment: how accommodation influences it

Your accommodation has a big influence on how you study for mid-term exams:

• You need a quiet space to concentrate
• A stable internet connection
• Possibility of alternating individual and group study

Conclusion

In conclusion, "putting in the hours" isn't enough to make the most of mid-term exams:

• Start by mapping subjects and dates.
• Design realistic and specific exam study schedules.
• Divide the process into phases: organisation, practice and revision.
• Use tutoring sessions as a strategic resource, not just to complain about your grade.
• Find academic support: study groups, uni resources, online tools.
• Take care of your rest and your study environment.
• If you also live in a place that supports this pace (with study rooms, good connection and an environment designed for students), the whole process becomes more bearable.

If you're looking for accommodation that provides this type of environment for the next academic year, you can see specific examples at Canvas World, detailing services, study spaces and academic life in the different halls of residence.