Mental Health
Midterm Advice
By Sophia Wagner ('23) & Alexandra Ganim ('23)
We interviewed several upperclassmen and teachers to get their take on what they find important when preparing for midterms. This is to help the IWA students who have yet to take midterms because of the restrictions the pandemic has left on academics. We asked the upperclassmen: What studying strategies helped you the most for midterms? We also asked the teachers from the harder courses: What do you think is the best way to study for your exams?
Advice from students:
Study groups with friends
Using quizlet and flashcards
Doing all of the reviews for each class
Making your own study guides is helpful
Summarizing your notes
Watch videos for topic you are unsure about
Start study guides as soon as possible
Print your notes (if helpful)
Re-writing your notes
Review old tests/quizzes
Mnemonic devices
Organize your notes, tests, quizzes, any assignments by unit per class
Advice from teachers:
Math department:
Do practice problems, during midterms, do not overestimate the amount of time you think you have to study between exams. Look over old tests and quizzes. When you work problems from tests, start them entirely from scratch.
Science department:
Chem:
Start with the unit you find most difficult, and if you have any questions, ask the teacher at least a week before midterms.
Biology:
Study and review a little bit consistently every single day. Talk through concepts, and make connections between concepts. The more you run it through your head and talk it out, the more confident you will be on test day.
Midterms at Incarnate Word Academy are notorious for being very difficult and stressful. Using tips from people who have already taken the test is your best resource to increase your chance of success. When in doubt, sleep is more important than cramming information right before the exam. Your well-being takes priority, and keep in mind that what you get on your exam does not determine your intelligence.
Mental Health During the Holidays
By Jordan Kahn ('23)
During the holiday season, it can be overwhelming for everyone, days filled with shopping for gifts and reuniting with family and friends. Eventually, it can get to be too much. The holidays are a time we are supposed to take for ourselves. Most people think: we don’t have school, so we should be happy! But it’s not always that simple. For some people, the holidays can be a very exhausting time socially, and can trigger an upbringing of severe social anxiety. While shopping for gifts, you may feel anxious simply walking down the aisles of a store with your cart. When eating with family, you may get self conscious of the way you eat, even though you’ve known these people for years. And when your parents force you to talk to that one relative you barely know, it can be scary. But there are ways to manage these feelings! Before you go shopping, plan out what you are going to do, that way you can focus on your plan without the feelings of anxiety following you. When talking with family, start small. Start by talking to your closest cousin, and then slowly move on to people you haven’t seen in a while. And when you get insecure about what you’re doing, even if it’s just an everyday task, talk back to your bad thoughts. Tell yourself that you’re capable of doing this! Make sure to challenge yourself, but most importantly, take breaks from social interaction if you need it. It’s good to challenge yourself when it comes to social anxiety, but make sure you know your limits!