You survived midterms, now what?
You’ve finally walked out of your last midterm feeling like you survived a war. The past few weeks have been spent cramming for exams, pulling all-nighters, surviving off energy drinks and convincing yourself that everything will feel easier once all the tests are over. However, instead of feeling lighter after finishing all your work, you crash.
Instead of feeling free and motivated to do whatever you want now that you aren’t tied down by studying, you just can’t get yourself to do anything productive. Being done with midterms or any big exam doesn’t mean that you can officially relax because the work keeps piling up. For me, especially, all the classwork I’ve been avoiding and haven’t had time for while focusing on studying for my exams is now waiting for me when all I want to do is nothing. Work doesn’t disappear, but you end up in this weird stage where you’re too tired to be productive yet too restless to fully rest, knowing all the work that’s waiting for you. One of the hardest things is finding the motivation and energy to get back into a routine because you are still trying to recover from the fast-paced week of studying for midterms and running on adrenaline. Once that fades, burnout hits, and you realize just how tired you are from everything, almost like a complete crash.
It is completely easy to get caught up in this and not be able to do anything for days because it feels completely deserved after how hard you have studied. It is important not to feel bad or be too hard on yourself for not bouncing back right away. While it might not be the best idea to avoid all work for too long, it is still important to give your mind and body some time to recover and engage in self-care. This will help you get back into the right mindset, feel re-motivated and be ready to return to your tasks.
Some things that can help you get back on track include taking one real day off. While this might not be possible if you have a lot of work waiting for you, if you finish exams and have part of your day still left, take that time to reset. Catch up with friends you have not been able to see, watch a comfort show, go on a walk or do whatever helps you get into a better mental state. It is completely normal to feel down after spending so much time studying. Think of it as repairing rather than procrastinating because trying to sit down and do even more work right after difficult exams might make you feel worse and set you back. It may even help to reset by taking a nap to catch up on all the sleep you have missed. Then reflect on whether you feel better after resting, or if you still need a little more time to recover.
Once you have taken a short break and feel ready to start your schedule back up, make a realistic to-do list. Work piles up fast in college, and setting your expectations too high or trying to do too much in a short time can make you feel overwhelmed and stuck. Instead, start with two or three realistic tasks that you know are doable. If you finish your workload and still have energy, you can always add more things later. It is better to take small steps because it is completely normal to feel mentally foggy and less motivated after midterms.
Midterm season is so stressful, and the slump can happen to anyone. It is important to prioritize yourself and not expect to get right back into your normal routine. Finals will also come sooner than you think, so be prepared to take care of yourself during that time, too, and make sure to give yourself some breaks in between exams.