Midterms are one of the most stressful times of the year for any college student. Professors assign essays, projects, reading material, tests, etc. en masse all at the same time. For some students, myself included, being bombarded with all this work can feel discouraging, impossible and can cause you to feel unmotivated. These are the absolute worst feelings to have at times when you need to be the most proactive and productive.
It’s important to know how to deal with stress in order to handle stressful situations effectively, and unfortunately many don’t know how. When I get stressed and overwhelmed, it is extremely easy to procrastinate. It’s as if putting off the problem will make it disappear. Unfortunately, putting off assignments does not cause my professors to cancel the assignment. Procrastination causes more stress when I have to do the assignment the day it is due, but it always seems to be the better option in the moment when I choose to watch Grey’s Anatomy over completing my English paper.
When you have a lot to do, it helps to make an actual, physical to-do list. Writing a list not only ensures that you don’t forget anything and helps organize assignments in order of importance, but it is extremely rewarding when you can check off what you’ve completed. For me, it is a way of encouragement because without a list, it is easy to focus only on what I have yet to do without thinking of all that I’ve already accomplished. It also helps to take small intermittent breaks so that your brain can rest. These breaks can be getting a snack or watching 10 minutes of a video. Finally, it is important to remember to take everything one step at a time. The bigger picture can be too much all at once but if you focus on one piece at a time you get through much quicker.