Many of you are probably thinking the same thing that I may be thinking: the semester just began and the midterm endemic is already upon us! If you are like me and getting asked about the number of midterms, what courses they’re for, and even the style of the midterm, then you know your cortisol levels are at an all-time high. If you have not begun studying yet, you are also like many of us who have not begun studying! But I am in no way endorsing procrastination, please do what works for you — whether this means prioritizing other courses or studying two weeks in advance. Many of us are probably aware of how to study, but many of us may not know of great resources to help tackle this stressful period.
The first resource, which is probably the most important one, is being able to confide in a professional if you are feeling overwhelmed. “Family Services in Windsor-Essex” is one of the great services that you can use. They offer several walk-in counseling services that are completely confidential. Additionally, if you are struggling with sensitive issues, such as depression and anxiety due to midterms and want to meet like-minded individuals who may be struggling with similar issues, there are also walk-in group sessions. All of these time slots can be accessed on this website. However, if you do not feel comfortable pursuing therapy, you can always confide in a parent, a friend, or even reach out to a professor. All these individuals can be trusted and care about your well-being. Please ensure that you are feeling well mentally because it can have serious implications as I mentioned last week.
It is also important that you take care of your diet, especially during midterm season when we may be accustomed to not eating the best. This can mean consuming bags of candy, greasy food, and a caffeine-IV attached to your vein. But this may not be the best for you in the long run. Although the Red Bull that you consumed at 5 am may get you through an 8:30 am midterm, it is not the best option, since you are likely to experience a caffeine crash around 1 pm. This can lead to crankiness, lethargy, and unproductivity. Now picture this: you also have another midterm the next day. Since you are probably experiencing a caffeine crash you are likely to put off studying, thereby impacting your grade for the next midterm. To prevent this, you can meal prep on Sundays the week before midterm week. Some ideas include making a nutritious pasta, a parfait for breakfast, and some salmon for dinner (obviously you can cater these ideas to your own personal diet). Here is one of my favorite websites for budget-friendly meal prep ideas. Additionally, you do not have to lay off the snacks completely. Try and put some chips in a bowl so that you are not tempted to continue eating the chips out of the bag. Limit your daily caffeine intake, trying instead to hit that 8-glasses-of-water-a-day.
Lastly, midterm season can be a very physically taxing process. You are probably accustomed to sitting in a cubicle at Leddy for hours and hours, praying that the material will be absorbed into your brain via osmosis. This can actually lead to potential blood clots and studies show that women who spend more time sitting have a high risk for a pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lungs that travels from your legs). You can check out the study here. If you may be sitting for hours without having some sort of physical activity in your routine, then it is important that you take a study break and get moving. Fit4Less has several locations all across Windsor at very affordable prices. If you feel nervous about going to the gym since there are guys around (trust me, this is a common struggle for us gals), Goodlife on Ouelette has a women-only gym so you can have a more private workout. As students, many of us face overwhelming amounts of debt and other financial strains, so getting a gym membership may not be an affordable option. In that case, you can always take a walk around Riverside, which is conveniently located near Leddy Library. Check out this guide for Riverside.
Now you may be wondering why it is so important to take care of your mental health, diet, and physical health: all these health-related aspects relate to the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS). This syndrome explains that during midterm season (or when we are stressed) we tend to experience three stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion. The alarm phase is when you check your Blackboard notification about the professor alerting the class about the midterm in a week. The resistance phase comes in next: you feel more inclined to put off studying because you may have other commitments or “lots of time.” The resistance phase is also marked by studying excessively and spending hours at our favorite study spot (good ol’ Leddy). Then when you are finally exhausted you hit the exhaustion phase. You may get an acne outbreak, or get a sudden flu outbreak. This can all be reduced if you take care of your health and utilize these three key resources to feel good, ace those midterms, and prevent that notorious exhaustion phase at the end of midterm season. For a more thorough review of the General Adaption Syndrome (GAS) click this.
Good luck during midterm season! You are now equipped with the other non-academic tools to succeed and great things are in store for you.