The stages you go through when taking a midterm
Happy #midtermszn, Bears! We’re now nearly halfway through the semester, which means you’ve either already taken a midterm (or several) or will be taking one soon. If you’re heading into your first midterm of the semester and want to know what to expect, or if you’re feeling sadistically nostalgic and want to relive the experience of taking your midterm, we’ve outlined the stages one generally goes through on test day.
Rolling up to the testing room with your study squad
Looking around at all the people who have never come to class before
Taking deep breaths and tuning out the world around you as the exams are passed out
Opening the test and forgetting how to spell your name
Answering the first question quickly and starting to feel confident…
… Until you get to the second question, which is significantly harder
Getting to the question about material that the professor said you wouldn’t need to know
Spiraling into a flurry of stress as you think about how your performance will affect your grade
Having a breakthrough and figuring out a tough problem
Eventually giving up because you know no matter how long you spend, you’re not going to get those last two questions
Avoiding eye contact with GSIs and the professor as you turn in your test
Walking out happily because at the end of the day, you did the best you could and grades don’t define you
That last one might not be entirely accurate, but it’s something we at the Clog want to remind everyone of. During this time in the semester, stress tends to pile up, but try to remember that at the end of the day, you’re worth more than a grade on a test. Best of luck to everyone on their midterms!
Contact Hannah Nguyen at hnguyen@dailycal.org.