Six weeks down, ten weeks to go.

I think it’s just about that same time of year for all of us at this point, no not fall (that doesn’t exist here), MIDTERMS. The time of year where we are all so hyped up on coffee and delirious from sleep exhaustion that we don’t even know our own names.

Usually I like to stay pretty cool and collected when it comes to midterms, but I’ll admit I was a little nervous this year. Even though I had midterms when I was in undergrad, my previous graduate school courses in NY didn’t (not even tests). So as you can imagine I was feeling a little nervous about what to expect from my first set of midterms, as I am sure many of the first year students at Scripps are feeling too! I’m happy to say I’m feeling pretty confident after my first midterm and even though it’s still a little nerve-racking, I think I’ll survive!

Here are a few tricks of the trade for those suffering from a little thing I like to call “midterm mania:”

1. Keep your friends close, but not too close. At least for your first few days of studying! We all know by now that “studying” with a group of friends is actually code for “lets go to Starbucks with our backpacks, drink coffee, and not talk about anything related to learning.” Lets be real, we all do that. So take a few days in the beginning to make your notecards, get a basic knowledge of what you need to know, and then start accepting group study invitations. This will keep you from panicking last minute because all you did was drink coffee with your friends for a week.
2. Ask questions. The professor is there to help you, not to trick you or fail you on purpose. Chances are your professor may have a review day a week or so before your midterm. Make sure you take that time to ask about any theories you may not understand or how to do certain math problems you are struggling with. This is what the review day is for.
3. Stop freaking out. Granted, midterms are pretty important and we all want to do well, but I like to remind myself that the midterm is not the only thing that I will be earning points for in class. There are finals, papers, projects, homework, and attendance points to take into account. Yes, attendance points do make a difference. Just remember that though the midterm is important, it isn’t the end of the world if you don’t do as well as you would have hoped.
4. Relax. Life is about balance, so make sure that you take some time in between studying to do something enjoyable. I’m sure there is some study somewhere that states happier people do better on midterms. Take a few hours or even a day in between the coffee drowned madness to go on a hike, out to pizza with friends, or just spend the day alone watching Netflix in bed still in your pajamas. Whatever makes you happy!
5. Social media. Get off it. Now.

No matter what year in school you are, don’t forget to have a mini celebration in honor of your midterm mania survival!

Good luck this midterm season, everyone!