Week Five, aka Hell Week, can be a stressful and extremely busy time for all students here at UCI. With all these midterms, papers, and projects due it’s important to remember to take care of our health, state of mind, and studying habits to ensure that we can give our midterms our best effort while still maintaining a balanced schedule. That being said, here are some tips to survive midterms week and keep yourself safe and happy.
1. Plan out your week
With everything that’s going on in your schedule, it may be helpful to pencil in exactly what tests you have on what days, and try to divide your time to study for each test accordingly. Not only will this help you be more prepared and avoid any surprises when you show up to your exam, it will give you the mental preparedness you need to stay calm and organized throughout the week.
2. Time yourself
In addition to knowing when your tests are, know what days you want to study, at what time, and how long you would like to study for. If you really want to make the best of your study session, set a timer for sixty to ninety minutes, hide your phone so that you won’t be tempted to check any social media, and use that time specifically to focus on one subject. Studies show that after ninety minutes, your brain will not retain the information since you will be overwhelmed! Rather than trying to study everything all at once for multiple hours, split up your studying and take it easy to get the best results.
3. Take a break
This step is simple—relax! Do something you enjoy for at least an hour a day. Not only will this make you feel better, but by taking time to relax and clear your mind from any stress, you will be more focused when you study.
4. Two words: Cookie. Butter.
Have a reward system set up for yourself whenever you study. It does not have to be food, but in case you do want to improve your life and are open to a newfound source of happiness—Speculoos Cookie Butter can be bought for four bucks at Trader Joe’s.
5. Get some sleep!
To perform your best and keep yourself going throughout the whole week, it is crucial that you get enough sleep and eat well. On top of that, take care of yourself in other ways—take some extra time to eat a well-balanced breakfast in the morning, and make sure not to forget about your hygiene. It’s easy to be so distracted by essays and studying that you forget to shower or brush your teeth, so make sure not to push yourself too hard.
6. Believe in yourself
With all the nerves that come with taking a test, you may be tempted to roll yourself up like a tightly wrung little stress ball, but don’t do that. Believe in yourself, and remember that you got into UCI for a reason. You’re meant to be here, and you can handle this.