As midterm week comes upon us, stress levels are rising, and motivation levels are falling. I know that I always get overwhelmed and feel like I never have enough time to do anything. Spring break is just around the corner after midterms, but it feels so far away. So how do we keep motivated and not get overworked during this extremely stressful time?
- Hang out with friends
-
I know that seems counterintuitive, but I find that if I can set aside a little time to hang out with friends, it’s a real de-stressor. It gives me a break from work and allows me to have some fun during this stressful time. This takes a bit of time management, but if you can set aside time to even just get a meal with friends, it really helps! I can stay motivated because I come out feeling less stressed and more ready to get down to work. If I can do it, so can you!
- Time block
-
Time blocking is basically when you sit down and block out exactly when you’re going to get things done. For example, studying for midterms for me is generally pretty overwhelming because I always feel like I don’t have enough time to study for everything. But what I like to do to combat this is sit down and schedule time – 2 hours for this, 1 hour for that – and it relieves stress for me. It also really motivates me because if I can stick to my schedule, I can usually get things done earlier if I didn’t time block at all. If you can set yourself a clear work schedule, it can really help with managing workload!
- Take care of your body
-
I know this seems a bit obvious, but I have found that students sometimes forget these two things in the wake of midterm week. But easily the most important thing to do during a stressful week is to take care of your body. Skipping a meal or two isn’t going to get you a better grade on your exam and it certainly isn’t worth it, and neither is pulling an all nighter. At the very least, try and schedule in a nap! Power naps work wonders, I promise. Lastly, remember to stay clean. It sounds dumb, but showers/baths are an easy and refreshing task to do if you need to clear your head a little bit.
The most important thing to remember during any heavy exam week is this: grades do not define you! We all want to do our best and make the most of our college experience but a bad grade or two is not the measure of your worth. Don’t sacrifice your wellbeing all for an A on your psychology midterm. Study up and kick butt, but most importantly, take care of yourself!