Dealing with the shift to online classes means coping with the stress of online midterms. These online tests are similar to normal exams, but with an extra set of challenges and benefits. It can be difficult to figure out how you should prepare for them, given these slight changes. To help, here are some tips on how to prepare to take an online midterm.

Make a condensed sheet of notes 

The best way to study and prepare for an online midterm is to make a condensed sheet of notes. It’ll force you to summarize and go through all of your past ideas, which is a good way to approach studying for anything. Also, if your class lets you look at notes during the exam, it could save you a lot of time. Instead of rifling through a notebook for a piece of information, you can scan a page or two of a cheat sheet. This means a cheat sheet not only is a great study tool, but also will help you waste less time and do better on your exam.

Study the slides

Some of your classes might draw test questions right from the slides. Whether it’s a small detail on one of the images or the test literally asks you to explain a diagram from the slides, the slides shown in class will likely have something to do with your test. If you study the slides ahead of time, those types of questions will be easy. Regardless, studying the slides is a good idea. Along with your notes, using the slides can be a great way to remind yourself of all the little details in the class, as well as any significant trends the professor specifically pointed out.

Remove distractions around you

One unique challenge to online midterms is that you take them from the comfort of your home. That means you’re surrounded by all the little distractions you have around you. To make sure you can completely focus on the test, move things you think might distract you away from where you’ll take the test. You should also consider telling the people you’re staying with at the moment that you’re taking a test and don’t want to be bothered. That way, they won’t distract you. Another thing worth considering is removing any distractions on your computer, as those might also take away your focus.

Try to relax

Tests can be stressful. Taking an exam in a new way can add to that stress. All of this combined could make you start to panic, and that’s not a good mindset to be in when taking a test. The best last-minute preparation you can do then is to take a couple of deep breaths and try to relax. You’ve taken many tests before, and you’ve got this. Just calm down enough to get through, and you will be fine.

So, good luck with all those online midterms. They are a little different, but at their core, they are standard midterms — you’re just taking them online. Hopefully, these tips will help you overcome this hurdle and ace all those tests.