Beating the Midterm Blues: 5 Easy Steps

October, for the majority of people, means the beginning of fall and all the wonderful things that come along with it. Fall brings us crisp mornings, sweater weather, and pumpkin spiced everything. But for university students October comes with a bit of a price – midterm season!

With midterm season now in full swing, it’s easy to get caught up in the stress of studying and preparing for these daunting tests. With the majority of midterms being worth 15-20% of your final grade it’s pretty easy – if not understandable – to lose a little sleep over it. Honestly, I don’t blame you. Speaking from experience, midterm season becomes almost like a mode that you switch into – as if there’s an imaginary “midterm switch” in our brain. Before you know it, your life has become a constant routine of coffee, sweatpants, and cramming in studying in between classes before you take yet another exhausting test – all while trying to get enough sleep, eat properly, and maintain a somewhat decent social life. And just when you think it’s over and you can finally return to a somewhat normal life, you remember you have yet another midterm next week. So, guess what? The cycle continues. 

While this may seem like the only way to be successful and survive the dreaded midterm season, it’s important to make sure you take a step back and take care of yourself too. You can’t just go-go-go forever, you’ll eventually reach a point where even coffee won’t be able to save you. You have to find a healthy balance. Yes, getting a good grade is important. But taking care of yourself – both physically and mentally – is even more important. And if you don’t take care of yourself, it may make it even harder to get that good grade. Science shows that proper sleep, nutrition, and hydration is important to brain function, and therefore your ability to study and write a midterm.

But how do you crush midterm season and maintain your sanity all at the same time? It may seem like there’s just simply not enough time in the day. But let me reassure you, it can be done. Here’s how:

1. Use a planner

No, I’m not kidding. There’s a reason we all had to use those agendas in elementary school. They allow you to visually see what you have coming up, and to plan out your week accordingly. Prioritize what’s most important, write a list of daily to-dos, and keep an eye on all those test dates and deadlines.

2. DON’T PROCRASTINATE! 

This is the big one. If you wait until the last minute for every single midterm then of course you’re going to feel stressed and exhausted – you can’t learn all of that material in one night! Not without going a little insane, that is. Instead try and spread it out. Start studying for your midterms early so that you’re not feeling the need to cram the night before. Don’t know when to start studying? Refer to #1 and use your planner to visually draw out study blocks and make a plan. It will help you out big time in the long run. 

3. Get enough sleep 

I can’t stress this one enough. Writing a midterm on a couple hours of sleep is a recipe for failure. It may not be physically exhausting, but you are giving your brain a workout. This means your brain needs all the power it can get (A.K.A. sleep!)

4. Stay hydrated and well fed! 

Similar to sleep, your brain needs nutrients to perform well. It can’t run on coffee and Kraft Dinner forever. Try to make sure you’re drinking enough water everyday and eating a nutritious diet. Don’t like drinking water? Flavour it and keep it next to you while you study, that way you’ll be more likely to drink it. Try to stay away from things like coffee or other caffeinated drinks, they don’t keep you hydrated very well. Don’t have time to cook? That’s okay! I’ve been in the same boat before too. But at least try to get a vegetable or two in everyday, even if that means snacking on veggies while you’re studying. 

5. Take a break and get in some “you” time! 

This one is always my personal weakness. I will constantly study during midterm season, convincing myself that every waking minute cannot be wasted. But that’s not healthy. In fact, it’s actually hindering your studying process. You’ll reach a certain point where you need a break because your brain is tapping out. It’s important you learn to recognize that and actually stop studying. Go do something for you that you enjoy. Not only does this give your brain a rest, but it’s a huge mental health booster. It will help you lower your stress levels and simply feel good. Feel like you don’t have enough time for other activities? Don’t worry, you’ve got your planner from #1. Schedule in some breaks. You deserve it. 

Hopefully these tips are useful and you can apply them to your next round of midterms. Just remember, while the tests are hard, and they may seem like they’re never ending, they will end eventually. At the end of the day, these midterms are not worth sacrificing your mental or physical health. 

Happy Studying!