Coping With Midterms

It is that time of the semester: MIDTERMS! The fear and anxiety of failing the exams trump your appreciation for the beautiful leaves falling around you. So, grab your notebook and a cup of coffee, and take notes on tactics for coping with this stressful time. 

1. ATTEND OFFICE HOURS REGARDING EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING (ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE CONCERNS OR EXAM QUESTIONS)!

Professors WANT you to attend their office hours because, to some disbelief, they are here to help you! I know that it is intimidating to sit with them and ask questions since there is that slight fear of the professor thinking less of you, but it will be fine! Professors want to see what you are doing so they can guide you in the right direction to perform to your best ability! Doing well in your professor reflects well on you and the professor, so they do want you to succeed!

1. GET A TUTOR!

Sometimes, the 55 minute lecture is not enough to fully get a grasp on the concept that you are learning in class, and that is okay! See if your school offers tutoring, you might be surprised with how much an extra reinforcement will help! 

1. BE PREPARED!

Study, study some more, study AGAIN! Being prepared is critical to your performance. When you feel confident about the material when walking into an exam, it will put you at ease. It is the WORST feeling to walk into an exam feeling uneasy, or even worse, the stomach dropping feeling you get when you do not know the answer to the first question! 

1. NOURISH YOURSELF!

Ladies and gents, I must give you the annoying, but FACTUAL, lecture that you received at least once by your parents. Your body is like a car, it is an engine that runs on fuel. You must nourish your body, bring a granola bar to the library with you, eat an apple when you feel your stomach rumble from hunger. Drink water when you can’t focus on that one section of your study guide to wake yourself up. 

1. SLEEP!

I can admit, I have stayed up wayy to late for a midterm, and the next morning, I not only looked very rough, but the exhaustion consumed me. While trying to focus on my exam, I could not stop thinking of how tired I was. So, instead of staying up very late cramming, be more prepared, and go to bed at a reasonable time so you are ready to go in the morning! 

Midterms is a stressful time, we all dislike them with a burning passion. But I promise, you will survive! Use these helpful ways of conquering these exams, and most importantly, turn to your friends. Surrounding yourself by your lovies are soo important! They are your shoulder to cry on, but most importantly, your supporters! When you keep telling yourself you cannot do something, sometimes you just need that one person to believe in you and motivate you to conquer whatever is in front of you! 

HCXO,

Amanda