You’re finding yourself staying up until 2 a.m., chugging Red Bull and falling asleep on top of your homework. After syllabus week and a full month of classes, midterms are hitting you hard. But don’t worry! Her Campus American has some tips for you to get through them.
1. Stay hydrated
Consider drinking more water while you study. Studies show that keeping yourself hydrated increases memory function and reaction time. It’s fine to drink your coffees and energy drinks, but make sure that you’re drinking water, too.
2. Stay organized
It may sound easy enough, but keeping yourself organized is the best way to keep yourself on track. By writing down your assignments and goals for the day in a notebook or planner, you’re holding yourself accountable for making sure those tasks get done. There’s also no denying how good it feels to cross something off when it’s done!
3. Try listening to classical music
Listening to pop music while you study can be fun, but it can also make you distracted. Studies have shown that listening to classical music while you do your homework can actually reduce stress, which makes studying a lot easier.
4. Eat snacks with protein, not sugar
Although we all crave candy and sweets while we’re studying, it’s a better idea to snack on something of substance. Nuts, Greek yogurt and hummus all contain protein that will help keep you focused. To get you started, here are some more study snack ideas!
5. Don’t do everything at once
Pulling an all-nighter is fine every once in a while, but repeatedly, it can be disastrous for your mental capacity. Instead of studying everything the night before a test, try reviewing a little bit of the material each day for the week leading up to your exam. Not only will this decrease stress, but it will also help you to give yourself some much-needed sleep!
6. Give yourself breaks
Studying is very important, but it’s also important to take some time for yourself. So put on pajamas, watch some Netflix and relax. You deserve it!