Has your last week consisted of quizzes, group projects, exams, excessive crying, and a few presentations? You may also have reevaluated your life a few times and even tried to bargain your grades with your professor during office hours. If this sounds like you, welcome to the week of midterms. Here are a few tips and tricks on how to handle the midterm meltdown.
Make A Game Plan
The easiest way to avoid the ultimate stress is to know when your assignments are due. Knowing how to plan out your assignments and prioritize will help you not go crazy with the big rush of assignments for all your classes. If you know when all your tests are you will be able to know when you need to study for each test so you are the most prepared you can be and get those A’s! Make daily ‘To Do’ lists to give your brain a break and to visually be able to see your week’s game plan!
Don’t Isolate Yourself
Being stressed and being alone go together very well, so help yourself out and make sure to make time for friends! Emotional support will be your secret weapon for getting through the midterm battle. Study with friends if that’s what it takes to get social interaction but also prepare yourself for your upcoming quizzes. Take a break from social media this week, it will help you keep sane and it will keep you from falling down the rabbit hole and getting distracted from your work (we have all been there, believe us).
Eat Healthy and Stay Hydrated
Fuel your mind and body with the right food. They teach you this in the 7th grade so don’t forget to do it! Eating right will give you energy and the stamina you need to study and retain all of the information. Same goes for hydration. Giving your body enough water will not only make you feel better but it will help you grind out until the end. So ditch the chicken strips and Redbull (at least until finals week) and quickly notice how much better you feel and how productive you become!
“You time” Is a Must
Take care of yourself, girl. The key to not getting overwhelmed is to know when to stop. Learn to recognize the difference between, not wanting to study and do the work and needing to take a step back and recharge your mind. Whether it is taking small 10 minute breaks or painting your nails, know what your body needs. And if you find yourself saying “I don’t have enough time”, that is false and it’s all about prioritizing. You are a priority.
SLEEP
So many people believe that getting the least amount of sleep in order to get the most studying will get you the best grades. It’s actually the complete opposite. Your brain actually needs sleep to function properly, so please do not pull all-nighters! When you sleep your brain actually processes the information you learned that day, so if you don’t sleep, it will actually be harder to remember everything on the exam! So during the midterm week make sure you are getting about 8 hours of sleep. Less than 7 and more than 9 hours of sleep is considered unhealthy and causes you to be more stressed and unfocused. During this week of school set yourself a bedtime and put the books and your mind to rest.
HCXO