Ace Your Midterms
Pt.1: Study Pointers for Guardians
By The College Advisor
Guardians usually take school very seriously. Here's a few tips for each type of Guardian
to help you do your best in your midterms.
Carlos, a Supervisor, complains that he didn't get as good a grade this last semester as
he usually got in high school. He says the courses are a lot tougher. That's often the
complaint of the freshman. Supervisors do best when they have a chance to study in groups.
One Supervisor reports his group focused on one question, "What do you think will be on
the test?" The group always identified at least 80% of the test questions. Supervisors
do best when they take detailed notes with examples. It helps if they underline their
texts for what is important and even copy out key definitions. Talking things over with
others and putting them in their own words helps cement the concepts so they are remembered
for the test.
Shaway, an Inspector, was concerned about taking a history class, since she
liked numbers better than facts about people. She wanted to know the best way for
Inspectors to study. Inspectors study best when they work in a quiet place. Too much
noise of any kind usually hurts their ability to concentrate, and they become less
efficient. If they don't think they understand something, they need to ask a friend or
ask the teacher in the next class meeting. Most Inspectors find it useful to highlight
or underline key elements in their texts and notes. The night before the test, they need
to ask themselves, "What do I think will be on the test?" This helps them identify the
things to study. Otherwise, they may try to cram too much information in their heads
and exhaust themselves. Students who go to bed at a normal time usually do better than
students who stay up late to study.
Jeannie, a Provider, was a junior who found upper division classes more interesting
and more challenging as she got deeper into her major. She wondered if she could do even
better in her classes since her GPA wasn't what she'd like it to be. Jeannie was a
commuter student who lived at home. Her father insisted that she study in her room with
no noise. Provider students do best if they do some studying with others and some alone.
Provider students learn a lot from talking with others. They are more likely to discuss
examples of the material when they are visiting with their friends. When Jeannie
incorporated some studying with friends, her grades went up.
Sergei, a Protector, decided that he needed a system to help him organize his thinking.
He already knew that he needed a quiet place to study. He designed a series of questions
to help himself study for any test. He asked himself:
- What is important to learn?
- What did the teacher emphasize?
- Are there specific items such as dates or definitions to learn?
- What are some examples of how to use the material?
He asked himself these questions both at the beginning and at the end of the study period
so he could see what he remembered and to see if anything was missing. His grades
went up.
There is no perfect way to study that fits all types. This series of articles includes
midterm studying tips for
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