Finals week Fall Quarter last year, I was an absolute wreck. I had a ginormous, cumulative exam in my American Literature class for which I had done little of the reading. The night before, I stayed up until an ungodly hour reviewing a study guide that was so long that the printed pages actually had a significant weight to them.
Panic was preventing me from studying properly, and every five minutes or so I would either post a new whiny Facebook status or text my friends from the class increasingly insane statements like “My hand won’t move” or “Thumb.is.swelling.” Recognizing my desperation – and perhaps scared for my safety – they offered to join me in my efforts.
The intended cram session became instead a Panic Party marked by sporadic fits of giggles that resulted in one spilled coffee, several snorts and a shared instance of collapsing to the ground as we shook violently with the most potent sort of silent laughter.
A year earlier, the day I left for school, my brother attempted to bestow upon me some college wisdom: “Every time someone asks you to go out when you should be studying,” he said, “do it – because you’ll remember the times you go out and you’ll never remember the studying once you’ve graduated.”
For the majority of my freshman year, I lived by this rule (with varied results). Then, after I relayed it to a senior friend, he asserted that he adamantly disagreed with my brother. Some of his favorite memories had been the nights he had spent “studying” with friends – looking at videos on YouTube, bursting out into the chorus of “Backstreet’s Back” or having spontaneously deep conversations about the meaning of our existence.
Though perhaps not a life-altering revelation, his statement made me more conscious of the paradoxically fun times that often accompany late-night, delirious stints in the library. I would never go so far as to be thankful for midterms (my eyes are red from my four-hour sleep average as I write this column), but as we end Week five, perhaps there is something to be said for the bonding that they can induce. Below are some other study-related things to appreciate during this stressful time in the quarter.
1. Deering Library
J.K. Rowling famously created her description of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry after taking a tour of Northwestern’s Deering Library with her high-school age niece. OK, that’s completely false, but the place does have a beautiful, mysterious and peaceful air and is a perfect spot for some silent study time.
2. The Writing Place
This appointment-only peer editing resource is located on the second floor of the Main Library. The staff of students has been trained in a special class through the English department and the facility is open seven days a week. This is a great resource for your mid-term papers!
3. Office hours
The power of going to office hours should never be underestimated. It has moved mountains and changed grades.
4. Sleep
As much as I am all about cramming for tests (especially with friends), sleep truly is the best thing to get the night before a midterm. Aim for at least six hours – anything less will hurt your performance.
5. Tests that turn out all right
The exam I mentioned earlier from my freshman year that had my blood pressure up to 140? It turned out to be a piece of cake – literally. Our professor brought in cupcakes with various designs on them, and our task for the hour was to write an essay regarding the symbol on the cupcake and how it related to our reading. It was challenging but fun, and I ended up doing well. While orgo students probably shouldn’t expect to be fed sushi during their tests, it’s good to remember that exams are just a chance to show what you know and may very plausibly turn out OK.
Maeve Wall is a Weinberg junior.
She can be reached at [email protected].
