It’s 4:17 AM. Your eyes scan the third floor of Gelman. You look down at your desk scattered with coffee cups, textbooks, and notecards. You find yourself wondering two things:
Is there any way that this paper will be done in time for its 8 AM deadline? And more importantly, is there a line at Gelbucks right now?
Midterm season is upon us.
The concept of sleep is now a fuzzy memory, replaced by nights where getting four hours of sleep is a miracle. Your “diet” consists of skinny vanilla lattes and trail mix. And let’s face it – the last time you went to HelWell was for that Campus Fresh fundraiser.
What you may not realize, however, is taking a study break to focus on yourself for a little while may help improve your grades more than that extra hour of cramming will. Follow these few simple tips to de-stress and refocus yourself during one of the busiest times of the semester!
1. Go for a jog: While the weather is still nice, take advantage of the perfect location of our campus. Whether you take a quick jog down to the Washington Monument or run along the Georgetown Waterfront and Rock Creek Park, going for a jog is a great way to clear your mind. Exercise can help you focus, and even make you feel more refreshed and energized. Bonus: some stellar instagrams are guaranteed.
2. Get some fresh air – and veggies! Have some time to spare between class on Wednesdays? Stop by the Foggy Bottom Farmer’s Market right by the metro from 2-7pm. The people are friendly, the produce is super inexpensive, and it’s a great way to give back to the local farmers in the community. Having a fresh supply of vegetables on hand makes it easy to whip up a quick meal that’ll power you through your late night study session. My favorites? Zucchini and eggplant!
3. Fool proof study snacks: Find yourself reaching for that $3 granola bar at Gelbucks and cringing at the cost and calories? With a little bit of preparation you can avoid this problem. Fill snack sized baggies with almonds, dried cranberries, and walnuts. You can even throw in some dark chocolate chips if you have a sweet tooth like me. The cranberries give you a quick source of energy while the nuts have healthy fats that will keep you fuller, longer. The chocolate chips? Those are just delicious.
4. Hit the snooze button. Although this may seem counterintuitive, try and sleep for that extra half hour instead of attempting to cram last minute. Walking into your exam well-rested and refreshed will help you remember all of the terms you memorized last night better than scrambling to review your notes last minute will. It’s actually a fact that what you study is committed to memory while you sleep. So go ahead – hit the snooze button and get a few extra minutes of sleep!
5. Breathe. During such a busy and stressful time of the semester, it is important to remember to take a moment to stop and reflect. Have confidence in yourself and how much you’ve studied. Knowing that you did your best is all you need to get you through your exams. So sit back, take a sip of your Pumpkin Spice Latte, and take a nice deep breath.
Before you know it, it will be Thanksgiving Break and your all-nighters at Gelman will be a vague memory. Good luck on midterms collegiettes!