Oct. 8, 2024

Welcome to Week 7!

Midterms are upon us! Have you already crossed that threshold? If so, I hope you’ve had a chance to catch your breath! How did they go?

If you have yet to pass that waypoint – prepare yourself! There is lots of advice online about how to study for midterms. If you don’t have a strong routine that works for you every time – check out some online resources (Google is your friend!). The big thing is to take a mental inventory of your readiness for these exams. If you are not feeling confident, now is the moment to invest your time.

If you'd like to chat with someone else about your midterm strategies or need some advice on study techniques, there are several options for help. You can always reach out to your faculty member for suggestions on how to prepare for a particular course or exam. You can also ask a roommate or a friend what their favorite strategy is – and maybe find a partner to study with in the process. Your goal should be to find someone who is an expert at this race.

Don’t know an expert? We have experts here for you. Reach out to a dedicated Academic Coach in the Student Success Center. Remember, this is your game for the next few months and/or years! Getting good at it now can make the time ahead much easier.

If you are already done with your exams, were you triumphant? Did you reap the fruits of your labor? Did you feel as prepared as you thought you were? Or, was the outcome of your midterm exams disheartening or disappointing?

Midterms can be a bit of a wild ride, but they also offer a great opportunity to reflect on your study habits and make some tweaks for the future. So, whether you aced your exams or noticed room for improvement, take a moment to reflect on your preparation strategies.

Here are a few questions to get you started:

• What study techniques worked best for you? Did you work on your own or with others in group study sessions? Have you tried both? Which works best for you and is it course/content related?

• Did you manage your time effectively leading up to the exams? Did you procrastinate until the night before?

• Were there any distractions that kept popping up? Social media? Netflix? Family? Job? Friend drama?

• Did you get enough sleep and take care of your well-being during the hectic midterm season?

• What changes, if any, would you like to make to your study routine for the next round of exams?

Remember, this is all about learning techniques that work for you to learn – better. Just like a professional athlete – you are trying to improve your game. Your experiences during midterms can guide you toward more effective strategies for the future. Be honest with yourself. Say the thing that needs to be said to yourself so you do better next time. If you procrastinated and got through, ask yourself if this ‘worked’ to just get you through or if it worked and got you a better grade.

Keep up the great work and stay positive. If you did great – that’s wonderful. If there’s some room for improvement, that’s perfect. Observing improvement opportunities and taking steps to do better next time is exactly what this is all about. You've got this!

Things to do:

Starvation Gulch!
Starvation Gulch is this coming Saturday! This annual Traditions event signifies passing the torch of knowledge from returning UAF students to new students. This event will feature six HUGE bonfires, live music, food trucks, and more!

Get involved! There is so much more happening on campus. Check it out on Nanook Engage!

Have a great seventh week!

As ever, if there is something we’re doing great or something we can do better, please share! You can find me at obguthrie@alaska.edu.

— Owen Guthrie, vice chancellor for student affairs and enrollment management