Midterm Success – Study Tips for the Idealistic Temperament

With unwavering optimism and an insatiable hunger for wisdom, idealists enjoy learning. People with this temperament inspire others to realize their potential and often show great influence in groups. Idealistic students possess a wide variety of abilities and are successful in careers that fit their interests. If you’re an idealist, you may need extra study time and effort when studying for midterms in required classes; it is more difficult to study subjects outside your major. There are 4 different types of idealistic personalities: teacher, counselor, champion, and healer. Follow these guidelines to help you prepare for midterms and improve your GPA.

To fulfill a liberal arts requirement, Elizabeth, an idealistic teacher, decided to take an art appreciation course that conveniently fit into her schedule. Finding the course quite difficult, Elizabeth sought advice on how to improve her study skills. Teachers study more effectively by utilizing both social and quiet time. Material becomes more meaningful when you discuss it with friends, while studying only allows for deep introspection. Both study methods are important for Teacher students. To prepare for midterms, teaching students should take the time to review their notes and grade items that are likely to be on the test. Pay special attention to key words and/or phrases; Student teachers can be too global and lack detail. Knowing the key definitions and being able to cite examples helps them have a deep understanding of the concepts.

Stephen, an idealistic counselor, liked to write but had trouble with English literature. His instructor wanted a lot of detail in his essay and told Stephen that he wasn’t specific enough. How could he improve his study skills? Counselors may have trouble with memorization if the material triggers an original thought. When this happens, they need to spend more time with the material and discuss it out loud. Write down the key points; it can also be helpful to use flash cards for definitions. For language or oral presentations, Stephen must practice speaking the material to master it. Guidance students need a quiet place to study. They can learn to study when they are surrounded by sound, but they can usually concentrate better in a quiet environment. Guidance students need periods of uninterrupted concentration and are likely to ‘give up’ if interrupted too often.

Eddie, an Idealist Champion, needed help studying for a required math class. Champion students perform best when they study in groups; talking about it with other students helps with retention. Even when they study alone, they want activity around them. Champions can choose to study with music or with television; It can also help just to have people in the room with them when they study. Sitting still for too long doesn’t work for them, so they need to take breaks and move around. Since champions are so original in their thinking, memorization may not be easy. Stephen will remember math material better if he writes and talks about the solutions. Whenever possible, he should highlight textbooks to show key concepts and phrases, while learning to be selective with the highlighter pen.

Pauline, a creative artisan healer, is majoring in art, with a minor in music. She was having trouble with a required history course. Despite reading the material over and over again, she seemed like she didn’t fit in. She asked what else she could do to optimize her study time. Healers need to make the material their own through discussion or visualization, rather than trying to absorb it through reading alone. Although some Healer students want quiet and others want to listen to music, they generally prefer to study where they are not interrupted. When studying for midterms, it can be helpful to repeat material out loud. Healers do better when the material becomes part of their own experience, not just something to memorize. Pauline can also call her friends to joke around or discuss the material.