It’s the word that terrifies any experienced Tabor Academy student: mid-years. Mid-year exams are the one wrench in what should be an otherwise easy three weeks until Headmaster’s Holiday. This gauntlet of tests hangs over the head of some Tabor students from as early as Winter Break.
Around this time, with only one-week left, even the most nonchalant procrastinators acknowledge the need to prepare. However, how can any student prepare for five three-hour examinations over the course of six days, covering all the material from September to now?
First, any student facing a string of exams needs to simply prepare earlier. As often as it is heard, plenty of students ignore the looming threats and warnings and place themselves in impossible situations. Teachers will continue to demand their own review assignments and techniques; while these can be helpful, often the “enforced review” doesn’t serve very well as exam preparation and only serves to increase the already overbearing workload. In some cases, teachers are still trying to cram even more material into the last few days of the semester. By preparing earlier, students can create more time to deal with these unavoidable issues, as well as maintain other commitments such as winter sports or work.
Maybe the most instrumental word of advice is that you can not do everything. You should not worry about studying the exact date of the Edict of Nantes or how to conjugate the verb “fascinar” in Spanish. Rather, understanding the general themes and how to best apply them will be far more helpful than trivia facts and tidbits. Write up large review sheets that cover all the major material, chapter by chapter, and, hopefully, you can remember the small points. If not, then at least the broad coverage will allow for better comprehension in larger, and significantly more important, sections such as free-response and essay-writing.
Regardless of your process, personality, or school, exams are stressful. Many Tabor students will be, at the very least, worried for the next two weeks. Our only consolation is the four-day Headmaster’s Holiday after the mid year exams. Personally, I just cannot wait.
By Jacob Farias