Monday, November 18, 2013

Surviving the Season of Midterms



It’s that time of year!  As the leaves carpet the streets and department stores decorate for the holidays two months in advance, it’s time to prepare for the upcoming midterms that usually hit all in the same week before break.  Facing midterms, especially multiple midterms, can seem daunting but there are a few tips to remember that will help you survive this season of chaos! 

First off, study with others.
  Oftentimes, studying can be made slightly more enjoyable when you have one or two friends with you that can help keep you accountable to staying on track.  This tip is only helpful if you study with people that will religiously study with you rather than distract you from the task at hand. 

Find a spot to study that you’re comfortable in.  This could be at a kitchen table at home, in the library, or at a coffee shop.  Don’t be afraid to switch it up and try studying in different environments.  You may just find the perfect spot for you!

Studying is made infinitely harder without a balance of eating healthily, exercising, and sleeping.   Get rid of the late-night junk food and substitute it for healthy fruits and vegetables-your body will thank you for this!  Make sure you get some exercise in addition to this; go to the gym, take a walk, or play soccer with friends.  Lastly, SLEEP!  Even though it can be tempting to give up precious hours of sleep to cram in more study time, getting in those REM cycles will help you perform well on your tests.  Studies show that going over test materials before you go to sleep is extremely effective because your brain continues to go over the material while you sleep; try this out!


Remember your resources.  There is the tutoring center on campus in the SLC that has drop-in appointments for most math classes as well as writing, and appointments with class-specific tutors can still be made right now!  In addition to this, use your classmates and the knowledge that they have, and don’t be afraid to attend your professor’s office hours-every professor has mandatory weekly office hours.

Make sure that you give yourself time to release stress.  Whether this is through exercise, grabbing coffee with a friend for an hour, taking a walk, or sitting in the hot tub at the WREC, make sure that you incorporate something that works for you.  Don’t get consumed in the chaos of midterms, and look forward to the week break ahead!