With midterms coming up, who isn’t feeling stress? Preparing for exams by writing down a schedule and making a study plan for each exam or project can reduce some of that stress. One of the most useful yet underrated ways to prepare for exams and projects is to close the computer, take out a notebook, and write more descriptive and focused notes during review.

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Taking notes has long been taught as one of the most essential skills to have in school. Students are taught to write down important information when the teacher tells them to and to note key concepts that the teacher says will be on the test. It is also important to take notes when not directly told to because this helps an individual meet specific needs they have to understand a subject.

The midterm exams or projects for many classes are said to be worth 15-20% of a student’s final overall grade. The exams either boost grades up by a little bit or take them down by a little bit. Everyone wants to do well on their exams, and to do well on exams people have to know the topics covered. A good way to get to know a topic by heart is by constantly taking notes on it while it’s being taught. No matter if it’s about biology, math, or language.

Getting comfortable with what is going to be assessed over many weeks by gradually taking note of it is always better than cramming in the days before exams. Taking notes can help one learn a topic gradually over a period of time. Although midterms are only one week away, there is still time to utilize this strategy. By taking good handwritten notes in this last week before finals, people can gather a good summary of information in their heads by taking quality and helpful notes.

Many studies over the years have also shown that physically writing stuff down on paper has huge benefits for retaining the information being taught. Taking notes can especially help when specific things need to be understood, and can also engrain important information in a person’s head. In the future, take more notes to help prepare for assessments. Taking good quality notes will drastically improve one’s schoolwork and prepare one for exams.