June 27, 2026

With a little help, community college students revive midterm study nights

By Monica D. Spencer, Associate Editor
Apr 5, 2026

The Learning Center

Anyone who has faced the absolute beast that is college knows midterms can be beyond stressful. But at Central Arizona College’s Maricopa campus, a study night turned that pressure into collaboration last month.

Santa Rosa Crossings resident and psychology student Zakiya Johnson helped revive a long-dormant midterm study group, with support from the college’s Learning Center. During the hours-long event, students gathered to review classwork, share study tips and enjoy some free snacks.

Central Arizona College students snack and study for midterm exams inside the Learning Center on March 5, 2026. [Monica D. Spencer]

The Learning Center’s coordinator, Jaquelyn Tso, said the idea came directly from Johnson.

“She frequents the Learning Center quite a bit, and one day she proposed a midterm study group,” Tso said. “I was genuinely touched because it was in our plans for next semester. She beat me to the punch, and it’s wonderful — especially coming from a student.”

Tso said The Learning Center offers a variety of resources for students and the broader community, including tutoring services, a Makerspace with a 3D printer, a certified Pearson Testing Center and public-use computers.

“This is a space that is meant to be a hub where students can laugh and get creative, but also get serious, do research and learn,” she said.

We asked Johnson about what inspired the study night and why events like this matter for students.

InMaricopa: What pushed you to propose the study group?

Central Arizona College Maricopa campus student Zakiya Johnson stands for a photo inside the Learning Center on March 5, 2026. [Monica D. Spencer]

Johnson: I heard that students sometimes struggle to build relationships in college, and they often struggle to study on their own. People are working, they’re busy, and sometimes they can’t find help outside school hours. With midterms coming up, I figured we should do a study night.

In: What made this event unique?

Johnson: It’s collaborative. You have students in different majors working together. We also had some free treats and gave away book lights and phone chargers for the first 20 students.

In: Why are events like this important on campus?

Johnson: When I previously attended North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, I saw students everywhere on campus. There was a lot of campus activity. I wanted to bring that university excitement and campus culture to CAC.

Monica D. Spencer, Associate Editor

Monica is a government and economic development reporter for InMaricopa since February 2023. Previously, she worked for The Arizona Republic’s breaking news desk and visuals department.