Stress and Midterms – Tips on Trying to Manage the Craziness of the Week
The end of semester always brings the stress of keeping track of grades so they don’t suddenly plummet dramatically and midterms. Midterms seem to bring an unprecedented amount of stress to many students. But, how many kids are actually stressed and not just exaggerating the amount of work they really have. I think that schoolwork, especially midterms causes stress for students, but in some cases it is not nearly as bad as many might think. Staying organized and on top of work is just one tip to help reduce the anxiety levels among students. A recent study from the University of Wisconsin suggests that if you think about stress too much and dwell on certain little issues and it carries an extremely negative connotation that it affects you more. The study found that if you think your stress harms your health, you actually do harm your health. Others in the study who experienced stress and anxiety but did not make a big deal of the tiny things and did not think it would affect their health have better outlooks. So, maybe the next time you feel particularly stressed, try thinking about it more positively and stop worrying about the little things.
With midterms right around the corner, there are many useful study tips that can help you both reduce the stress about specific tests as well as help you really understand what you are studying. Taking study breaks can be extremely beneficial, as long as they don’t turn into an hour of doing nothing. You should not take long study breaks. It is recommended that students take short, regular breaks for about 5-10 minutes. This allows for you to get up, stretch, and walk around for a little while before getting back into studying. You should also make sure you are not studying on a empty stomach. If you are hungry this could affect how focused you are on the task at hand. Additionally, while you still have to juggle homework along with starting to study for midterms, don’t leave all your studying to the last minute or the night before. It is better to spread it out so that you do not feel the additional stress of having to learn the whole thing the night before. Not only is this a non-efficient way to study, but this could also lead you to staying up late trying to cram everything in. Sleeping is very important when it comes to tests. While it may seem smarter to stay up later to study, getting a good night’s sleep helps you to be more focused when taking your exams. Sometimes the stress of the following day’s exam can keep you up the night before. A relaxing bath or shower might help calm you and your brain down so that you can fall asleep. Many breathing exercises have also been found to help calm people down and fall asleep faster. The stress of midterms affects all students and sometimes can feel overwhelming, but with the help of some of these tips and staying organized, your stress can be reduced. And, don’t make your stress seem like something dangerous to your body because that affects you as well.
Sources:
https://www.oxfordlearning.com/study-break-tips/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/17-tips-to-sleep-better
