Christien FordIt’s that time of the year when the leaves turn yellow, the morning air gets chilly, and Pumpkin Spice Latte becomes a craving. With the change of season, we can bid goodbye to sunshine and welcome something that we all dread: Midterms!
Most feel apprehensive about midterms, especially this year, since we are stuck at home for the most part with limited social interactions. You may even find yourself feeling completely isolated and helpless on how to prepare yourself for midterms. If these are some thoughts you have been trying to push to the back of your mind, fear not! Here are five midterm de-stressors that will help you feel prepared and confident for your midterms.
1. Creating a study timetable
The reason why we tend to stress about the midterms is because, when it comes to studying, we do not know where to begin or we just cram everything in the last few days before the midterms. However, if we create a timetable well in advance for ourselves, we’ll be able to have a nice balance within the day instead of studying all day and night.
Although this might take some practice, you should try to stick to your study timetable and refrain from procrastinating — as hard as that is. A good strategy to help you follow your timetable is keeping everything you need to study with beside you, such as your notes, your laptop and textbooks. Remember to remove distractions such as your phone.
2. Online study group
If you are the type of person who studies best with people around, it’d be difficult to study all by yourself during this pandemic. Don’t worry, you’re not alone! You can form a study group with your friends and study online.
Studying with your friends can be effective because you and your friends can share notes, discuss important topics, quiz each other, and ask questions. Forming a study group is really helpful as it keeps you motivated and focused on your exams.
3. Creating a study playlist
It’s no surprise music helps us while studying. Many people listen to music while studying because it helps them feel relaxed. Music is not only a stress-reliever but is also known to help improve your memory and focus. So, go ahead and create your own playlist with music that you find pleasing.
Be wise when creating your playlist. Music that helps you while studying are the ones that are calm, soothing, and have no lyrics. Loud music or music with words can be a major distraction, especially when reading or trying to memorize something. So, make sure to listen to soft, happy music and try to keep the volume to a minimum so it does not impede your concentration. Alternatively, it is perfectly alright if you prefer to study in silence. You can still create a playlist and listen to music when you take breaks between studying.
4. Eating well and staying hydrated
Oftentimes, when students are stressed during exams, they forget to take care of their nutrition. Nutrition should not be underestimated, especially with midterms around the corner. When it comes to food, it would be beneficial to eat healthy. There is a wide variety of healthy foods out there, so choose what is best for you. You can even go the extra mile and prepare yourself a food chart and include healthy snacks to eat while studying.
5. Making some room for “me-time”
My strongest recommendation is to not exhaust yourself while studying for the midterm. As much as studying is important, it’s also important to take care of yourself and spend time for yourself doing things you love.
Whether you like to paint, play a sport, or read novels, try to fit some of those activities into your schedule. Encourage yourself to take breaks when you need them and work on yourself. This will give you some time to relax and even increase your alertness when you go back to studying.
