I was this close to calling this article “Tips for a Stress-Free Midterm Period.” But, readers, I don’t want to lie to you. No matter how much you do, you’re going to be a little stressed out during midterms. However, there are a few steps you can make to make things a little easier for yourself – freshmen, take note! Those of us who have been at Princeton for years know what midterms are like, but if you’re a master procrastinator, the following suggestions might help you out as well. I’m by no means the expert on exam-taking, but here are a few tried-and-true methods that help me get through the most hellish of weeks.
1. Make a list. I am not the world’s most OCD person by any means, but I LOVE lists. If I’m feeling particularly overwhelmed and/or stressed out by my workload, it always helps me to write everything down that I need to do and organize it by class. This is especially helpful during midterms, when you have to study and go to class at the same time. A really helpful suggestion (for Mac users) is to use Stickies – those little post-it notes on your desktop. I like to use one for each class. Deleting things off each one is so satisfying! If you’re more of a technology-phobe, simply writing everything on a piece of paper is one step you can take. I also find it helpful to separate items by day and give myself a schedule during particularly hard weeks like midterms.
2. Take care of yourself. I know that it’s hard to balance work AND your health, especially during midterms. However, after a long night of studying, you might be feeling frazzled and just want to eat a ton of junk food (I hear you, I’ve been there. And given in. Trust me.). But sometimes going to the gym or just going to sleep can help you! You will be much happier if you don’t try to burn the candle at both ends – all nighters are not a good idea for anyone. Neither is excessive consumption of caffeine. I like to take some time out of my day to work out a little at least once during exams. You can bring reading with you! Then you won’t feel bad about missing work. If gym-going isn’t your thing, no worries. If you’re craving a study break but can’t justify doing nothing for a while, call a friend and get a meal together. Eating a sandwich that you took from the dining hall in the library alone is depressing (I’ve been there, too) and not eating at all is not good for you. So get some human interaction in and go to the dining hall! No one can spend 12 hours straight in a library without going crazy.
3. Study with a buddy! As I said before, not interacting with people will make you go crazy. I love studying with my friends. Of course, we distract each other sometimes to no end, but just being physically near other people while chugging along at my reading helps me out. For some people, this doesn’t work; but I find that having people to commiserate with, and to go get meals with in between working, helps me out a lot.
4. Don’t freak out. I know this sounds ridiculous, but seriously, don’t. This is Princeton, and everyone here has a TON of work. Some people may seem as if they have everything under control and are so totally together when it comes to exams, but chances are they’re secretly worried about everything too. If you start to get really worried and stressed, take a breather. Call your parents or sibling, or a friend at school, or go for a walk.
In the end, it’s only a week of your life. And then you get to have fall break! So take a deep breath, arm yourself with caffeine and snacks, and hit the books. Just make sure you have a game plan first.
Image Credit: Here.