单选题 In some classes and at some schools, mid-terms seem to be almost non-existent. The phrase is used loosely to represent a short period of time occurring closer to the first day of classes than to finals with no specific calendar designed for it. Some Classes require so many exams and papers that a "mid-term" never really happens. Other courses don"t give any exams at all; they require written assignments only. Nevertheless, there still exists a sizeable number of schools and curricula that rely on the traditional mid-term/final peaks in the semester to assess student performance.
The mere fact that mid-terms are intended to monitor one"s understanding of a subject mid-way through the term carries a heavy burden for most students. At one end of the spectrum (系列,范围 ), students who perform well on their mid-terms tend to then study with far less consistency for their final exams—thus reducing their overall grade for the course. On the other end of that same spectrum, students who perform poorly on a mid-term often become psychologically negative; viewing the rest of the semester as a hopeless void. Almost immediately upon receiving their mid-term grade, they"re already looking at the course syllabus, trying to compute what their final grade will be if only they can score on their final and on other relevant assessments.
Of course, to avoid becoming a victim of negative mid-term psychology on either end of the spectrum, it is recommended that you should work hard to do very well on your mid-semester exams. Plan in steps. Too many students only loosely understand their subject material and then attempt to learn it all on their own one week before or even one night before an exam. But this tactic (方法, 策略) rarely works! Ease the anxiety of mid-terms by covering whatever you learned in the previous class and study that material. In the long run, this tactic really takes less time than the "night before cram session".