Aaren Marcarian

Professor Lee

HIST007B

25 April 2023

Midterm Exam Reflection

The Midterm Exam was a multiple choice exam that covered OpenStax Chapters 16-26,

and all of Loewen. I honestly didn’t do too well on this exam. I got a 70%, and I know I could

have done better if I had managed my time more wisely, and disciplined myself more throughout

the semester.

I stretched myself too short; Since the exam was essentially 10 chapters, I only wrote

handwritten notes on 5 of the 10, with the rest being on a quizlet. I feel this procrastination to

study, combined with my notes being in two different places, really held me back. I didn’t have

time to properly hand write all my notes, or time to review them all. On top of the fact that the

quizlet doesn’t stick in my brain like writing down physical notes does. As well as reviewing; I

feel I get much more reading a paper than I do looking at a screen. I take this as a lesson to give

myself more time; For everything. To write down complete notes, study properly, review

properly, etc. I tried to do everything at once. I tried to balance 5 classes, their corresponding

homework, working 3 days a week, working out, and still making time to see friends. To give

myself some credit, I did go from working 4 days to 3, but still, it obviously wasn't enough. I

should have cut down more on work and seeing friends, and I just should have emphasized this

class more in general.

Ideally, I would have given myself designated review days before the exam, so I wasn’t

essentially studying right before the exam. I understand now that the best way to do it is to study
fully, cover all the material, write handwritten notes, and take days to review them before the

exam. With that midterm exam, I was probably studying 2-3 days before the exam, only really

giving me one day to review. Especially for a 10 chapter midterm, it was definitely not sufficient.

Along with working after class, it really did not help my case. I should have taken a Monday or

Wednesday off to sit down and take this class seriously. Especially since I’m interested in this

sort of history, with it being the history class closest and most relevant to modern day life, I wish

I would have put more time into it.

And I of course do regret coming late almost every day. I can tell I missed a lot of

important information within those first 10-15 minutes of class, and I should have learned from

that earlier on. I was always late to morning classes, as they are where my poor time

management truly shines. However, this does give me motivation to manage my time properly,

wake up earlier, and attend the rest of my classes on schedule. It also reminds me that I should

take every aspect of school seriously, including being right on time. This class has made me

realize that all those minutes really do add up. In conclusion, the combination of not showing up

on time, and not giving myself enough time to study, got me this grade. I know I could have done

better on all accounts, and I really wish I would have acted upon that earlier. Nevertheless, I will

keep this important lesson with me for the rest of my studies.