As midterms come up the panic of actually having to study sets in. This panic is especially apparent for freshmen, who haven't taken a college test yet. Even as a sophomore, junior or senior sometimes you can still be at a loss for how to study for a certain class. While everyone learns best in different ways, here are some different options on ways to study.

1. Notecards

This is the tried and true method that a lot of people carry over from high school. While this may have gotten you through high school it won't work for a lot of classes you will be taking in college. Notecards are best for rote memorization. Whenever you need to memorize vocab words, specific facts or equations this is the best way to do it. Unfortunately for college students this sort of information isn't the norm for college tests.

2. Practice Problems

Practice problems or just doing a bunch of problems to see if you know what the heck you are doing. This is best for science and math classes. When you've got that big calculus exam coming up pull out your text book and do a bunch of problems to see if you know how to use the different equations and know the methods. Science and math tests are typically all about getting the right number, so practicing is the best way to go. These also work for foreign languages because you can do different exercises about grammar or vocabulary.

3. Rereading your notes

This is one of my personal favorite methods of studying. It basically includes pulling out your notebook and reading over everything that you wrote in class or while you were doing your homework. It can also extend to looking over worksheets and past readings. While it is always an effective way of studying, it typically cannot be done by itself. Just reading over your notes once is not enough to constitute all of your studying. You have to look over your notes multiple times and for maximum effect, other methods of studying should be coupled with it.

4. Rewriting your notes

They say that if you handwrite your notes you are more likely to remember what you wrote, so if you write your notes multiple times you must be more likely to remember them than before. Rewriting your notes makes you think about each topic carefully and decide what is important and what isn't. I typically like to change colors to make it more interesting for myself. Rewriting your notes as a method of studying also includes answering your study guide because when you write down the answers to your study guide you are typically getting them from your notes. Another reason I didn't give answering your study guide as a method for a way to study is that many professors do not give study guides. A lot will give basic concepts but that is never a comprehensive list.

5. Practice essays or making outlines

A lot of exams in college consist of essays. This method of studying works best when you either know what the essay question will be or what the potential essay questions will be. Because you have them beforehand, you have the opportunity to get your ideas in line before going in to take the test. Either outlining what you plan to write or even writing a practice essay will make your exam go by much smoother because you already know what you want to write.

Make sure that you choose a method that works well for you and for the type of exam that you are going to be taking. Not every method works for every exam. I've personally used all five of these methods in college depending on the type of exam that I am studying for. And remember for best results always make sure to get started early and avoid cramming the night before.