So, it’s midterm week two and you have three exams to study for, two quizzes, and four projects to get done by the following week. Your MacBook decided to act up in one way or another and it seems as if all of your friends are stress-free while you’re pulling your hair out. Midterm stress is REAL, and it’s important to take care of yourself, so I’m giving you girls some stress tips to get you through death week.
Naps
Your roommate may insinuate that you’re lazy because you’re napping instead of doing your homework, but it is important to get your rest. This will improve how you study for your midterms, and will help you to catch up on the sleep you missed when you stayed up until past 2 am last night. Major tip right here: limit your nap to 45 minutes or less because if you let yourself go longer than that you will be even groggier than when you went to sleep.
Change up your scenery
It gets old staying in your dorm to study, so grab a roommate and head to Saxby’s or Liacouras Walk and find a plot of grass. That breath of fresh air (or coffee) will give you an energy boost and help to split your day up. My roommate and I always head to Saxby’s when we’re feeling drab about our work. The walk there gives us time away from the paper we were working on, and we actually find ourselves looking forward to getting out of the room.
Make time for yourself
Midterms week says you can’t take your eyes off of your laptop. I say you can, and that you absolutely should. Take some time for yourself. Go to Jamba Juice and get an acai bowl, get a workout in, get together with a friend at Saxby’s and don’t you dare bring your backpack. The more you study without breaks, the worse you’ll feel. This will take some of the edge off of midterms week.
Get your sweat on
Workout the stress, literally. Go to the gym for 45 minutes and get a good sweat in. It relieves some stress and will make you feel like you’re accomplishing more. When I’m studying for long periods of time, I start to feel sluggish, but getting into some cute workout gear and breaking a sweat makes me feel better about myself and the place I’m in.
Dress nice(ish)
Do something a little bit different and dress a little bit nicer for midterms week. Throw on a cute pair of jeans and a nice top, and you’ll feel more productive. This way, people will won’t be noticing the bags under your eyes from the 2 hours of sleep you got last night.
Take a long shower
A long, hot shower will feel good after a stressful day. It’s a good way to detox all of the stress that has been building up, AND you’ll smell good (which the person taking the test next to you tomorrow will definitely appreciate).
Netflix and chill with yourself
Get caught up on your favorite show. There is nothing better than studying for an hour and rewarding yourself with some Grey’s Anatomy. Grab a good snack and relax, you will come back rejuvenated and ready to study…if you don’t end up binge-watching, that is.
Make sure you try some of these tips to get through midterms a little easier. They’ll help, I promise.
–– Alexandra Butz