Managing Stress During Midterms and Finals

Every semester starts fresh—you’re full of energy and ready to conquer everything that comes your way. Then, halfway through, the first midterms begin. It’s that exhausting week where you study nonstop, fight through stress, and push yourself until exam day. But you don’t give up. You wake up every day, go to classes, drink countless fancy lattes to stay awake, and devote every free moment to studying. Finally, the exams are over, and you feel amazing—relieved that the stressful week is behind you and excited to have some time for yourself. 

But what happens the next day when you walk into class, and another professor announces a new midterm or an assignment due in a week? You freak out. You just survived an exhausting week, and now you must do it all over again? You ask yourself, “Are they doing this on purpose? Does somebody hate me that much?” Honestly, those thoughts are completely reasonable. 

For me, the key to avoiding constant stress and feeling overwhelmed during exam season is prioritizing. I know you’re in college, living some of the best years of your life, and you don’t want to miss a single good night out. But there’s this magic thing called ‘balance’. Go out—every night if you want—but before you do, make a list of the tasks you need to finish during the day and stick to it. Complete your work first, then enjoy your night out guilt-free. 

The same applies to weekends. Saturday is the day to go out—campus is buzzing, everyone’s having fun, and you want to be part of it. So, lock in on Friday and Saturday morning. Push yourself, study hard, finish your assignments, and clear that “To-Do” list on Canvas. Then reward yourself—not only by going out Saturday night but also by giving yourself Sunday as a rest day. 

Believe me, when Monday comes, you’ll feel like a completely different person.