With midterms on the way, this is now the time to prepare for them. It can be easy to procrastinate until the last minute, but that does not leave a good feeling in the end. And I get it: burnout. I know a lot of people who are feeling exhausted and lacking motivation even though midterms may not have started. Meanwhile, some people may not be used to preparing for exams because some midterms are project-based. Therefore, these are sites that were recommended to me that I thought I would share.
- Focusing
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It can be difficult to find spaces to focus on campus. I know that I struggle to find good spaces to study because the library is now all the way across campus for me. Sometimes, it might be harder to find quiet time when you have a roommate who is also finding a space to study. Therefore, here are some websites that could help with studying!
- LifeAt Spaces: Being on your devices can be super distracting. This site can give you an online space that you can study from and choose different music to help you focus. It is like having a mini study space online. There is a timer, so you can keep yourself accountable for studying or doing work for a period of time.
- Noisli: This is a great website for cultivating a good workspace environment. While there is a premium version, the free version will work just as well. It helps with providing background noise that will help you focus.
- Studying/organizing
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There are different ways to study. I know that creating practice tests might be helpful for some. However, if you are planning on looking back at your notes, the earlier you start, the better. It is not as effective to cram all the studying at the last minute.
- Hemingway: I know a lot of people use Grammarly when writing papers. Hemingway goes more in-depth with the editing. It gives you some more advice on how to structure your writing and its readability to improve it.
- Quizlet: This is a great app for studying. I have been using this since middle school. If you are not familiar with it, Quizlet is a tool to help create online flashcards. The good thing about this is that it is free. Also, there are other functions besides flashcards. It creates quizzes for you to self-assess on. There are even games you can play to make studying fun!
- StudySmarter: This app can help with organizing your assignments. Midterms might be overwhelming, but if you can balance your time well, then you will be able to still have time to take care of yourself too. There are definitely other alternatives if you are not a fan of the interface of this app. I know some people like organizing their plans on excel sheets.
- Toby: I know Apple recently updated to create a feature that helps organize all the tabs you might have. Toby does something similar. It is an extension that can help organize all the tabs you have. You might have some tabs dedicated to different classes depending on what you are doing. That way, you won’t feel as overwhelmed when you are trying to sort through each tab on your browser.
- Reading
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When studying, your eyes can get super tired easily, especially because a lot of things are online. I do recommend taking breaks in between to rest your brain. However, it is also important to try different ways of studying.
- Speechify: There are other alternatives if you search online, but this is what someone recommended to me. This is a great extension that can help with reading out documents. This can help you listen to the notes that you have written, which can help with focusing. Additionally, this is great for when you are writing papers. It can get super tiring to look at the same document for days. Therefore, if you are writing a paper, this is great for catching any mistakes you would have not seen if it was not read out loud.
- Relaxing
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I know that this is a stressful time. However, you are not going to be able to do the best you can if you are feeling exhausted. It can be hard to sleep too. You might have a lot on your mind right before you go to bed. Therefore, have some allotted time in your day to de-stress before you sleep. My therapist recommended to write down my worries before I go to bed too. It helps give me some peace from the anxiety.
- Headspace: I was recommended this app by my therapist as I struggle to sleep properly. It is a great app that helps me feel a little calmer before I go to bed. The app does come with a premium version, but there is still enough to use for going to bed. If you like meditation, there is a walkthrough for sleep meditation. I personally use it for the sleep music because it is calming and puts me right to sleep. Bonus points if you get sleep headphones because I do use earbuds to make sure my roommate won’t accidentally wake up from sudden music, and earbuds can hurt your ears after having them in for long periods of them.
- Looks Like You Need to Let It Out: It is better to let it out than to bottle it in. Sometimes, we need to shout into the abyss until we feel satisfied. Well, I do not have a way to bring anyone to the abyss, but I can take you to this site, which can let you scream all the way to a microphone in different parts of Iceland of your choosing. I used it once for the fun of it, and it was so therapeutic!
This can be a stressful time, but you will get through it. It is a short period of time that you will eventually overcome. You’ve got it. And maybe these aren’t the right sites or apps for you, but they might help for something else in the future. Remember to take care of yourself during this time at the very least. Nothing is worth sacrificing your well-being. In general, you are going to survive. Good luck with your midterms!