11 Ways to Stay Calm During Midterms

Feeling stressed before taking your midterms? Most students are. Whether you have one test or five, here’s a list of 11 ways to keep your cool during this time of year.

1.)  Remember that break is just around the corner.

Incentives are a great thing to help you stay focused during a week of tests. If you’re going home for break and you’re excited, that’s definitely something to look forward to. If you aren’t, treat yourself to some online shopping or a much deserved iced coffee.

2.)  Keep in mind that one test or class won’t matter years from now.

Tests do not determine the course of your life. One bad grade will not decide where you end up working or how well you do in the rest of your academic experience. Although you should definitely study and aim for a high grade, don’t get too discouraged by your score if it’s not what you hope for.

3.)  Stay focused.

Your friends’ Snapchat stories can wait. The more important thing to pay attention to is studying and making sure that you know what to expect on your exams. Put your cell phone on silent and turn on some music that won’t distract you.

4.)  Don’t overthink things.

Personally, I know that I have a major tendency to overthink everything when it comes to tests and what might be on them. Instead of trying to retain every last bit of information from your readings and/or notes, try to understand the key points and phrases and what they relate to. That way, when test day rolls around, you’ll be able to see a word or phrase and know what it’s about.

5.)  Use your time wisely.

Cramming the night before a big test is never a good idea. Instead, try spanning out your time and scheduling when you want to study for different classes.

6.)  Try out different study methods.

Flashcards, slideshows, and highlighting textbooks or notes are just a few ways to keep your mind on track with what you need to know. Try a few methods out and see which ones work the best for you.

7.)  Study in different places where you know you’ll stay focused.

Personally, I know that I’ll get distracted in my room. By going to the library or the café on campus, there’s a much better chance that I’ll get things done with limited distractions.

8.)  If you don’t know the answer, take a guess.

Leaving an answer blank on your test isn’t going to get you any points at all. With a guess, you at least have a chance of earning full or partial credit.

9.)  Get plenty of sleep.

One of the most important things to keep in mind is getting enough sleep ahead of time. Taking a test too tired can result in a bad grade. Plus, there’s the added fear of sleeping through every alarm that you set for yourself.

10.) Eat something before the test.

By eating at least a granola bar or an apple before your exam, you’re more likely to focus. Besides, nobody likes to be that kid who’s stomach can’t stop growling in the silence.

11.) Try your best.

No matter what the grade comes out to be, you’ll still know that you tried your hardest. At the end of the day, that’s what counts. Like I said in #2: one bad test grade isn’t going to determine the rest of your life, and it really won’t matter down the road.

Good luck!