Tips and Tricks to Get You Through Midterm Week
By now, most of us upperclassman know how this week before fall break usually goes. Professors who haven’t given exams yet (usually the majority) are cramming whatever info they can into a freshly printed and properly stapled set of papers that we’ve been dreading for the past few weeks. They have to make sure they get some sort of grade into the books, even if it’s at the expense of our sanity. But for those Freshmen who haven’t had the pleasure of experiencing this, and those of you upperclassman who are still finding a way to cope without totally throwing in the towel, I have a few tips and tricks that may help…
1. Take showers – even when you don’t need one.
It is scientifically proven that showers actually help you think. Getting a shower releases dopamine into our brains, puts us into a relaxed state, and distracts us – giving our subconscious a chance to work out the problem in our heads.
2. Make sure you get enough sleep.
You know that stereotype you tend to hear, before coming to college, that college kids tend to pull all-nighters to study for exams? Yeah, that’s not necessarily true. You’ll do much better if you study throughout the day and get the proper amount of sleep than you will trying to stay up all night studying. Trust me.
3. Take. Naps.
Naps are pretty much my secret weapon. I’m one of those people who needs a refresher throughout the day to keep myself going and I’ve never gone wrong with taking a daily nap. It’s like charging your phone to %100 or filling up your gas tank. You just generally feel better. And as long as you set an alarm to make sure you still fit in time to study, you’ll be golden.
4. Keep your priorities in line.
A lot of people tend to recognize that they have 5 exams in one week and try to cram it all into their brain at once. Don’t do that. Focus on each test as it pertains to your schedule. Highlight stuff and make notecards all at once, sure, but still only focus on one subject at a time as it comes. That has always been a really useful way for me to organize my thoughts.
5. Don’t over-gorge yourself with comfort food.
Comfort food is great when you really need it, but having too much of it when you’re stressing out about remembering everything you need to for that exam is only going to clog your thought process. It’s best to eat decent meals throughout the day and then go after that junk food as a snack once or twice a day.
6. Make sure you get outside and breathe fresh air.
Breathing in the cool, crisp air of fall is never a bad idea when you’re head feels like its about to explode. In fact, fresh air helps you to get more oxygen in your cells and will promote healthy brain function. So not only is it good for you to get some time outside, it’ll make your brain happy too!
7. Netflix / Books
Contrary to popular belief that Netflix could only possibly bring you a failing grade on a silver platter during midterm week, it’s actually on my list of tips and tricks. You need to set aside some time to let yourself stop thinking. What better way to do that than to lie down and browse Netflix? There is, however, a disclaimer. DON’T PICK A TV SHOW. Watch a movie instead. The reasoning for this? If you choose to watch a show, you won’t be able to make yourself stop between episodes to continue studying. With a movie, it simply ends and doesn’t have the ability to feed your nasty binge-watching habit! If you’re a bit of a bookworm, like me, books are another good substitute for this.
That’s all I’ve got! Try a few out and even make them your own. If you find any of them useful then stick with it! Just remember at the end of the day, this too shall pass. Make this week yours, fight through the mindlessness, and enjoy a break at the end.
Good luck!
*Picture is from Google*