If you’re reading this and you go to MHS, you should probably be studying right now.

Midterms at MHS are coming up, and students face an increased workload as they balance studying with regular schoolwork. However, there are ways to make the experience less stressful.

“I feel that time management is a very tricky thing for students in high school,” English teacher Mrs. Teresa Colgan said, “and if they don’t grasp it soon enough, they might suffer for it.”

Under increasing pressure during midterms, students often crack trying to keep up with assignments and cumulative review, and thus need guidance as to what to do.

Of course there are various ways to prepare for midterms. Sophomore Emily Chicoine, for instance, is “doing review sheets and starting to review notes.”

Others might take practice exams, go to the library, or employ other methods to make sure they know what they need to pass.

“I would probably review my notes, make index cards for terms, and write practice essays if there are any on the exam,” Mrs. Colgan said.

Despite the stressful nature of the exams, the scheduling of the midterms provides a good deal of relief, with most students only going in for only one exam, each typically lasting two or three hours, each day for one week.

“I enjoy the way they’re scheduled because I can have more time to study and still be able to get a lot of sleep,” Chicoine said. “Studying on top of regular school work would be too overwhelming.”

“There are no major disadvantages,” Mrs. Colgan said. “I believe it helps students study, whether alone or in groups, for longer.”

Students forming last minute study groups is also common, as many try to ignore the test until it looms near, despite advice from teachers.

“I feel that [teachers do] as much as they can for you but in the end it’s up to the student and how they decide to prepare,” Chicoine said.

As significant as midterms are, they also help gauge how well a student is handling the course material up to that point. Both Mrs. Colgan and Emily Chicoine agreed that midterms were beneficial for students.

“Midterms can be helpful for many things, and is a good cumulative review of the skills you’ve learned,” Mrs. Colgan  said.

“It allows students to review things halfway through the year so they get an idea of what they need to work on for finals,” Chicoine said, “[and] they won’t feel so overwhelmed when final review time comes around.”

So long as students study and try their hardest, they should do fine on midterms. Likewise, midterms are not the be-all and end-all of a student’s academic experience.

“In the end it is only 10% and doesn’t kill your final grade,” Chicoine said.