It’s about that time in the semester when midterms are in full steam. And besides copious amounts of stress and anxiety building up, the lack of time to eat and sleep have also resulted in extreme hunger and tiredness. Every fiber of your being is telling you to hit the “snooze” button and roll back into bed, your brain coming up with all sorts of excuses to skip that 8 a.m. lecture. We at the Clog feel your pain and have come up with a brilliant solution! Why not get in that extra hour or two of sleep, watch shows without feeling guilty and study for your midterm all at once? Sound too good to be true? Well, maybe it is, but at least you can give yourself another justifiable excuse for staying in bed.
If your lectures aren’t webcasted, here are some surefire ways to get in some studying without having to actually attend class.
Major: Legal studies
T.V. show: “Suits:
“Suits,” through the lawyers Harvey and Michael, will undoubtedly give you (in a mere 40 minutes) the details of every case study available under the sun, which is more than what your class would ever cover in an hour. Whether Mike is battling for Gillis Industries or Rachel takes on pro bono work to save Pearson Specter Litt’s reputation, this show is all about putting in the work behind the scenes — a great studying technique. Plus, you get to delve into the world of Harvard-educated, wealthy and prominent lawyers and live through their day-to-day drama. It really doesn’t get much better than this.
Major: Integrative biology
T.V. show: “Grey’s Anatomy”
“Grey’s Anatomy” will gift you with two vital necessities. Firstly, it’ll give you information on every disease, its causes, symptoms and possible diagnoses. Remember the baby born with a brain outside its body? That’s the level of brain power we could all do with when tackling our exams. Secondly, “Grey’s Anatomy” gives us Dr. Shepherd. (He’s not called McDreamy for nothing.) You’ll probably finish your exam early and leave your professor stunned with your confidence. This is also a great way to cram for that dreaded upcoming MCAT.
Major: English
T.V. show: “Jane the Virgin”
Jane is, by far, one of the sweetest characters we have met on T.V. And while we may all wish for her to be our English GSI, we can learn a bit more about perfect prose and flawless grammar while taking in her amazing time-management and list-making skills. The way Jane writes and rewrites her romance stories is the type of dedication we all need when tackling our own essays. This is also a great lesson on how to outline, draft and write papers, as well as a valuable tool for all you creative writing minors out there.
Major: Chemistry
T.V. show: “Breaking Bad”
Chemistry midterms are equivalent to every villain ever created in a T.V. show. While Walter’s actions may be questionable at times, his chemistry abilities are unparalleled. Meticulously observe Walter’s use of scientific knowledge, precise lab set-up skills and clever experimental abilities, and we’re sure you’ll ace that midterm or perfect your lab experiment results. If Walter can produce more efficient drugs in order to make money for his family while being treated for lung cancer, we believe in your abilities, too.
Major: Political science
T.V. show: “House of Cards”
Frank Underwood may display a calm, cool and collected attitude on the outside, but he houses a calculating and conniving mind within him. Some even say he is Machiavellian. And just as Machiavelli advocates for the ideal prince to use any means necessary to achieve desired end goals, Frank seems to take this to heart when he ends up committing murder four times in order to save his reputation or advance his position. Plus, Machiavelli is definitely going to be on your political theory midterm, so study up on Frank’s movements and thoughts, and you’re basically guaranteed an A.
Major: Economics/business administration
T.V. show: “The Office”
This mockumentary depicts the lives of everyday employees in a paper supply company. While this may not be geared towards your midterms specifically — unless your exam is actually on paper supply and demand, and we wouldn’t put it past our professors — this is a valuable insight to the world of business that many of you may pursue after graduation. See, business doesn’t always have to be so dull. When Jim convinced Dwight that the building was not safe to be in, Dwight actually rented a bus and set up an office inside so he could keep working. Now that’s the level of dedication you need.
We at the Clog wish you the very best with your midterms and sincerely hope that you’ll adopt these foolproof strategies while studying.
