Anybody who has been a student at Brandeis for even a single semester knows that there is no such thing as midterm week at Brandeis. Instead, we have midterm season. From mid to late September until Thanksgiving break we are bombarded with wave after wave of midterm papers, projects and exams. Cue weeks of sleep deprivation, endless stress, excessive chocolate consumption, and at least one bout of the common cold. Of course, no sooner are midterms over than final exams start.
At the start of midterm season, you were probably still able to manage it all. Those three-day weekends were perfect for recouping. Unfortunately, those days are long gone. The next break we have is Thanksgiving break, which is a long week and a half away. That sucks because most of us probably feel something like this right now:
While it’s totally natural and normal to sometimes feel like poor Quinn up there, you definitely want to avoid feeling like that on a regular basis, no matter how much you have on your plate right now. Grades are important, but so are you. Here are some tips to make sure you take care of yourself properly through the end of finals week.
Sleep as much as you can.
I know you’ve heard it before, but here it is again: sleep is so important! According to studies published last winter by the National Sleep Foundation, young adults aged 18-25 years should be getting 7-9 hours of sleep per day. Making sure you get enough sleep each night is the first step to making sure you stay healthy, both physically and mentally for the rest of the semester.
Take a break.
Sometimes a few hours off is just what a busy college student needs. Take some time to decompress by reading a book, watching a movie, drawing, meditating or whatever you need to do to de-stress and relax for an hour or two. If you’re feeling inspired, you could even write an article for us!
Go outside.
I know it’s cold out, but being outside in nature can do wonders for your mental health and overall wellbeing. Seriously, science proves it. So grab a steaming cup of hot chocolate, head over to a green space on campus and just relax for twenty minutes or so. You’ll feel so much better and invigorated enough to put in some quality study time afterwards.
Head to the gym.
Personally, when I have two papers due on Monday and a midterm on Wednesday, going to the gym is the least of my worries. In fact, just the thought of taking away an hour of potential study time to exercise stresses me out. In reality, that hour spent doing something active will actually help you destress, study better and sleep better.
Make time for friends.
While it can be so easy to hole yourself up in the library or your room for hours and hours, please don’t. Human contanct is important and will help you stay sane. When you’re feeling overwhelmed and ready to just quit school, there’s nobody better to help you get back on your feet than a few good friends. A few good hugs and some laughs are sometimes exactly what you need to power through rough times.