Midterm season is upon us and with that comes insane amounts of stress, gallons of caffeine and maybe even a few tears. Classes and student organizations are officially back in person and everyone is getting swamped with new responsibilities.
One of the hardest things is trying to navigate being a college student during a pandemic, and now we’re tasked with trying to balance all of our new classes and other activities on top of it. During stressful times, we often forget about the good things in life and only focus on the long list of things we need to get done.
Here are three tips to stay sane during midterms. They will hopefully make the entire process less unbearable.
Continue making time for yourself
I know I’ve said it at least 100 times before, but putting yourself first and making time for yourself is so important. Midterm season is all about studying and making sure you keep your good grades, so continually practicing self-care is just an extension of what you’re already doing.
Lately I’ve been thinking of self-care in the mindset of it being something that preserves your sense of self and helps you stay true to who you are, and that is so important when it comes to your mental and physical health during midterms.
Take study breaks when you need it, treat yourself to a delicious drink while you’re studying and take everything one day at a time.
Make daily to-do lists
Now I know I already mentioned not focusing entirely on large lists of things we need to get done, but making a daily to-do list will help you focus on things one day at a time. Something that’s really helped me is making a to-do list and then sorting things into “urgent” and “not urgent.”
This helps me focus on the super important things that need to get done first and schedule the smaller things that can get done later. Making lists can also be an easy way to get all of your thoughts out onto paper so you aren’t as overwhelmed. This also might be a good excuse for you to go shopping and get a new journal or notebook!
Take care of your physical health
Just like maintaining your mental health by setting aside time to relax and recharge, you also need to remember to eat and drink plenty of water! Staying hydrated is not only great for your skin, it’s also a simple way to take care of yourself and keep your energy levels up.
Remembering to eat good meals is also so important when it comes to fueling yourself for a big exam. Food is fuel and is meant to be nourishing, so make sure you eat and aren’t going to class on an empty stomach.
Exercising is also a great way to release bothersome thoughts and relieve any stress you might be holding on to. Even if it’s just going for a walk and listening to a killer playlist, this will still gets your body moving and away from your computer.
Regardless of how midterm season goes for you and how you choose to cope throughout the process, never forget that your grades don’t define you and that it’s okay to make mistakes! We’re all human, and although it might be hard to come to terms with a not-so-satisfying test score, you can overcome it and come back even stronger.