Midterm Creeping Up Fast.

 Exams Make Me Nervous.

    This is already an extremely stressful week for me.  I have my first midterm for Business Law I (MGT 273) this coming Tuesday, September 27, 2022.  On top of that, I still have to manage my other three class assignments, another midterm for Letters and Reports (BUS 108) on Monday the following week and a quiz due on Wednesday of that same week.  I'm asking myself, how am I going to get through the next two weeks?  It is overwhelming!  My schedule is a little above my physical and mental capacity; therefore, I have to use caution with my time management in order to accomplish all my tasks in a timely manner.

    Exams give me anxiety because I can literally study for several days and still feel as if I didn't study at all.

For example: How I prepared for BQ4

• Studied the material
• Looked through the online material in Mr. Wu's website
  
• Reviewed the material
• Wrote down all the information with additional notes
• Practiced the exercises that were mentioned and took more notes
  
• Reviewed the material again the night before.
• Reviewed the material prior to going to class.

    Personally, I felt confident that I was prepared enough for the quiz, but my brain blanked out and I forgot some of the information during the quiz.  I know I didn't get everything wrong, but I also know I could have done much better.  I will be honest, even though I did prepare for the quiz, I understand what went wrong.  The last few days prior to Saturday's quiz, I'd been staying up late completing assignments due to working later than I expected, so I feel that I can ascertain that my lack of proper rest was part of the problem.  

    As we all know, rest may be the most important part of one's day.  Many of us accomplish so many tasks throughout the day, work, study, homework, family, chores, errands, and anything life throws our way, that sometimes, we do not have enough time in the day to finish everything.  Ultimately, we tend to shorten our rest requirement, which overtime, affects our thinking capacity.  A tired brain leads to faulty outcomes.  I neglected my sleeping routine for four days.

    I made this for my bedroom closet door when I first moved to Las Vegas.  It's always been one of my favorite quotes.

    Now, this midterm has me on edge because it is a two part exam.  The first part is in person which is the essay portion.  The second part is online and will take about two hours to complete.  The entire exam from beginning to end is a total of approximately 3-4 hours long.

For this exam, I've been practicing better study habits to make sure I pass.  

For example: Preparing for this midterm

• Study the material in sections (this helps break down the understanding of certain topics)
• Manage how much time is being spent on studying a certain topic (usually between 1-2 hours/chapter)
  
• Make notes on material I don't understand or is difficult to remember and go back to it after a break
• Make sure to take breaks between study sessions ( between 30 minutes to 1 hour)
  
• Use meditation during my breaks to help me relax (it is refreshing and helps clear the mind after a study session)
  
• Have healthy meals to properly fuel my brain and body
• After a long day of studying, get a good nights rest
• Keep a positive mental attitude no matter the outcome (this one is very important to boost self-confidence)

    Once all is said and done, I'll know I did the best I could no matter the outcome. I will keep telling myself that I CAN AND WILL pass this exam.