Once again that time of year has passed when most students at Monmouth College were studying and stressing over midterm exams. Of course, midterms have come and gone, and most were used to the somewhat hectic time, but for the freshmen on campus it was a new experience. 

As freshmen at Monmouth College, we are all experiencing new activities, classes, teachers and tests. Midterms were our chance to experience our first major college tests.  Each person took these exams their own way and had different classes and tests, while others didn’t even have midterms at all. 

Freshman Kristen Wyse, when asked if she felt overwhelmed by the workload or stressed, she said, “I was overwhelmed when every teacher piled on the homework at the same time. It seems like every professor expects their class to be the most important.” 

Freshman Jesse Strakis said, “I was a little stressed. You just have to remember that it is only a test.” 

For some, test taking can be easy, but for others it may take some extra time studying.  When asked what techniques for studying for midterms helped the most, freshman Nora Carlson said, “I studied like crazy, took more notes and re-read stuff.” Also, when asked if she felt she did well on midterms, Nora replied, “Overall, yes.” 

Teachers also took notice of this. Susan Van Kirk, lecturer in the department of communication and theater arts, commented on what she noticed about the freshmen’s first experience. “I did hear a number of comments about having trouble balancing all of their reviews for classes. This is a common concern for freshmen so I think their worries were pretty typical. I was very pleased, in general, with their midterm test results.”

Most freshmen were a little stressed over midterms, but through studying and eliminating procrastination, the Monmouth College freshman class survived their first major exams.

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