As we hit the midpoint of the second semester, the snow is melting, temperatures are finally on the rise, and the excitement of spring break is on the horizon. First, however, students must get through midterm season. The exams can be anxiety-inducing for many. How do you effectively prepare while also putting aside time to relax?

If you find yourself asking this question, read on. In this article, I will list a series of tips both for studying and self-care during midterm season.

Study Tips:

Memorizing and understanding half a semester’s worth of material can seem daunting at first, but it’s not impossible. It’s important to recognize how you learn best by trying out a variety of study methods. As a starting point, here are some tips to study more effectively that have worked for me in the past.

Use the Pomodoro Technique. This method of studying involves focusing on schoolwork for a set amount of time, taking a small break, then repeating the cycle. It is common to study for twenty-five minutes and take a break for five, taking a fifteen-minute break after four total study periods, but you can adapt these durations to fit your attention span. By scheduling breaks into studying, you can avoid getting distracted after trying to focus for too long at a time. I find that I personally am less inclined to get distracted on social media, for example, if I know that I can take a break in a decided number of minutes anyway. The frequent breaks also keep me feeling refreshed and motivated.

Create a realistic study schedule. Map out what units or lecture slides you would like to review each day. You can create this schedule either digitally using software such as Google Docs or Google Sheets or handwrite it in a notebook. Consider studying the most important units earlier in your schedule so that you ensure you get to them even if you fall behind. Review them again right before the exam to refresh your memory. Be careful not to schedule too many review topics on days on which you are busy, however, because doing so may create impossible expectations for yourself, and your motivation may suffer when you don’t reach them. If you fall behind, adjust your schedule rather than put yourself down. Agonizing over goals you failed to reach will only delay your progress.

Self-Care Tips:

Although it is important to put hard work and effort into studying for midterms, you should not do so at the expense of their mental or physical health. Here are some tips to balance studying and relaxing!

Spend time with friends. In an effort to “lock in,” don’t lock your friends out. Although it’s important to spend some time alone to maximize focus, allow yourself to take breaks with friends too. Consider taking time out of your day to get lunch or watch an episode of your favorite show with someone you enjoy spending time with. Doing so may refresh your focus and keep your spirits high during a stressful time.

Decide a set time to go to sleep every night. It is easy to fall into the habit of staying up late to “just review one more lecture.” By decreasing the amount of hours you sleep, however, you also damage your ability to focus, which may harm your efforts more than missing out on another hour or two of studying will. Decide on what time you need to be asleep by each night in order to get your eight hours and feel refreshed the next day. Setting an expectation for an end-time before you begin studying may encourage you to stick to it rather than making excuses to study “just a bit longer” (which, let’s be honest, always goes on longer than intended).

Midterms can be stressful, but if you practice effective study habits and take care of your mental and physical health, you will survive them and move onto spring break soon. Good luck!