It feels like the semester has just begun, but out of nowhere, midterms have arrived. The feeling of anxiety and nervousness is slowly creeping in, but at the same time I am super pumped to get these exams and essays over with so I can enter Thanksgiving break with no worries lingering in the back of my head. I’m almost done with my educational journey, so I am pretty used to this weird midterm nervousness feeling, as I feel it every year. It’s nowhere near as scary as finals week, but at the same time it’s still a major pain in the ass. However, I’ve come to be a professional at dominating midterms and here is how I do it.
How I Get Through College Midterms
1.) Write Out a Plan
First thing I do is, I write out a plan. I schedule out what my days will look like until midterms are over. I try my absolute best to make sure I follow this plan and don’t fall off schedule. I fell off schedule a few times in the past, and I damn near failed all of my midterms, but if I follow the schedule, I typically dominate midterms.
What I mean by making a plan is to schedule out your days, down to every hour. For example, I’ll put something like this on my schedule.
“Monday – Wake up at 8AM and study Sociology until 12PM (read chapters 8-10 and take notes). 12PM- 1230PM eat lunch, a healthy, not too heavy meal, so i don’t get food coma..”
You get the point.
2.) Drink Coffee
I drink a lot of coffee during this week. As much as I try my best to not cram during midterms, I usually have no choice. School, work, and having a social life, will usually lead to a lot of students having to cram during midterms and finals week. I usually like my coffee black, during testing weeks. I feel like when I drink black coffee and just down it as fast as possible, I immediately get wide awake and laser focused. I am not recommending you do the same, but it works for me.
3.) Speak to Professors After Class or During Office Hours
Midterm season is not a bad time to take advantage of office hours. I try to visit them way before but I definitely talk to them during midterms. If you don’t utilize the professor’s office hours until finals week, then that might be a bad idea, but I feel like midterms is early in the semester to take advantage of asking your professor for help outside of classroom hours.
Speaking to professors during office hours is always helpful for me. It almost seems like a cheat code. These professors make all the rules for the course, so they can help you study for exactly what you need to study.
4.) Put Your Phone Away
Don’t brush over this one. This one might sound ridiculous because being phoneless sounds like a nightmare, but you would be pleasantly surprised at how much work you’ll get done without it. During midterms and finals week, I’ll usually use an old school iPod or my computer, if I want to listen to music.
5.) Index Cards
I really find this useful when I need to retain information. When I write information on an index card, I’m usually only writing down the important, useful information. Writing down the useful information and limiting it to a small index card is a good brain exercise that helps me retain only the stuff that I need to know. Also, the index cards are easy to carry around with me throughout my day, so I can essentially study anywhere that I go.
6.) Percussion Massager
I don’t know the right word for these things, but they are super helpful for me. During long study weeks, I find my back and neck getting sore and tight because I am sitting in front of my computer all day. These things help release tension in my neck. A painful neck does not only prevent you from being able to study, but it can also be pretty dangerous for your health. I suggest investing in one of these. Make sure to stretch and take breaks throughout your study sessions.
Don’t Stress
This is a lot easier said than done, but try your best to not stress. Midterms are not the end of the world, nor are finals. You’ll get through this and before you know it, you’ll be on Thanksgiving break.
What I do to Relieve Stress During Testing Weeks
1.)Take a quick walk outside
2.) Eat some healthy snacks
3.) Talk to a friend – If your friend is also studying for midterms, maybe you guys can plan out some breaks during studying to just chill out and talk together for a few minutes)
4.) Work Out – Try to fit this in your schedule, even if you only have like 30 minutes. This can help release some endorphins.
Read Encouraging Posts/Quotes -I like to read encouraging posts and quotes, pretty much every day, but especially during testing weeks.
5.)Read Encouraging Posts/Quotes -I like to read encouraging posts and quotes, pretty much every day, but especially during testing weeks.
