Student Tips On Midterms

As midterms approached at Nutley High School, students wondered how hard the tests would be, how they would affect their grades, what they would look like, and how to study. 

In order to be successful at midterms, students needed to have an overall grasp of their classes and learning concepts.

Students took two tests a day, starting at 8:15 a.m. and ending at 12:30 p.m. The tests were  two hours each, with a fifteen minute break in between.

“Midterms took place between January 25 and January 30,” said Mr. Joseph Materia, one of the two vice principals at Nutley High School. “Midterms are summative assessments that are used to measure students’ grasp of skills taught in the first semester of the academic year.”

There are many ways students were encouraged to prepare for midterms. “Students should begin organizing their notes after they come back from holiday break,” Mr. Materia explained. “Students should also reach out to their teachers and take advantage of extra help time during lunch.”

“Making flash cards or looking back at notes are good study tips for me before midterms, or any test," suggests Nicole Kane, a NHS sophomore.

Upperclassmen have more experience with these assessments. Seniors have been taking them since freshman year.  “I don’t really think it’s (midterms) necessary because we have finals, common assessments, and PARCC,” said Danilyn Ifversen, a NHS senior. “All these big tests we’re required to take, plus other tests that our teachers give us, midterms are just another test they felt like throwing at us.”

Despite her feelings on midterms, Danilyn also has many tips and advice to give to younger students who are about to take midterms here for the first time at NHS. “I just study like everyone else,” she said. “I get all my review sheets and everything I have from all my classes and I make sure to study almost everyday over and over again and make sure it sticks in my head. Also just because you think you know something study it because you might forget after trying to remember everything else.”

Overall, students all have different perspectives on whether they think these tests are simple or not worth their time. Some students may feel that it’s too much to study for, and some students may think it’s not a problem at all to take them.