Midterms are like those people who breath through their mouths. They don’t seem like a problem until they’re close to you, disrupting your everyday rhythm, leaving you wondering “WHY?”
For some of us, there just isn’t enough time in the day to properly prepare for midterms. The rest of us have found alternative uses for all the time we do have, but would like to believe we belong to that first group.
Luckily for all of us, nighttime exists! Yeah, yeah, sleep is important, I know, but these are trying times. Gear up with these tried-and-true nocturnal necessities and you can twinkle with the stars til mornin comes.
1. A Partner in Crime: Lonesome hours can feel brutally longer, so find a buddy in a similar predicament. If you both feel that same sense of urgency, you’re unlikely to chat too much.
2. A Plan: create a timeline for what you need to get done, breaking it down into two or three hour incraments to make the night seem more approachable and give you satisfaction whenever you complete one chunk
3. Stimulants: To each their own for this one. Coffee, tea, whatever floats your boat–just make sure you have a steady supply.
4. Water: This is an integral part of every life activity. It’s actually responsible for the electrical energy that fuels thought and memory processes, so it’s especially important if you’re chugging caffeine, a diuretic.
5. Snacks: It’s hard to focus on an empty stomach, but be smart about what you feed that growling monster. Try almonds, carrots, or pretzels. If you’re craving something sweet, the Co-Op has these cinnamon apple rings that are kind of like gummy worms minus the corn syrup, plus the vitamins.
6. Mundane Background Noise: Find something either without lyrics or in a foreign language. If you play music that you enjoy listening to, you’ll find yourself singing–or dancing–instead of studying, which leads me to the next ingredient…
7. A Rewards System: Rather than torturing yourself, be your own pet dog. Every time you complete something on that timeline, treat yourself. Whether it’s a quick dance party, 20-minute snooze, or 10 minutes staring at your Facebook news feed trying to feel alive again, take some little breaks to let your brain unwind a bit.