How to Stay Sane Before Midterms

How to Stay Sane Before Midterms

1. Make a plan
   1. Start studying ahead of time- do not wait until the night before!
   2. Know what your weakest/strongest subjects are and create a study plan accordingly
   3. If you know that you are really struggling in a certain topic, seek extra help after school with a teacher, at the peer tutoring program, or with a friend/classmate who understands the topic
   4. If you are unable to stay after, there are always educational sites online that can help you.
2. Know how to study effectively
   1. Studies say that over-studying can actually decrease test scores, so know your limits!
   2. Study one subject diligently for about 25 minutes, then take a 5 minute break. Repeat. After doing this 4 times, take a 15 minute break.
   3. Listen to music while studying! However, it is recommended that you listen to music that does not have lyrics, as the words may distract you from whatever you are studying. Classical music and hip hop instrumentals are highly recommended for studying.
   4. Don’t bother cramming the night before, if anything it will decrease your performance the next day.
3. Don’t get distracted
   1. Stay away from social media sites, games, television- anything that will distract you from studying!
   2. If you have a hard time controlling yourself from distractions, install restriction apps that will block distracting apps, such as SelfControl and Cold Turkey.
   3. If even that can’t stop you, have friends or family monitor you to make sure you don’t stray from studying!
4. Stay healthy
   1. Physical health is important if you want to do well, so make sure to eat healthy and stay active! Your body feeling good will help you be more alert, allowing you to do well on your exams
      1. Blueberries- helps to improve learning capacity
      2. White tea- increases brain wave activity
      3. Protein- especially for the breakfast on the day of the exams, foods such as eggs and oatmeal will increase alertness
      4. Yoga and Light Exercises- will help get blood flowing to your brain while studying, and keeps you from getting restless while studying
      5. Tea- different types of tea can
   2. Not only is physical health important, but so is mental health. Do not allow yourself to stress too much. Yes, midterms are important, but your mental stability is more important.
      1. Know that whether or not you do well on your exams, one test will not destroy your future.
      2. Take deep breaths and try to not overthink.

About the Author

Ashley Leung

Contributor

Ashley Leung is a junior at Malden High School (MHS) who started out as a reporter for the Blue and Gold newspaper but is now one of the Heads of Entertainment and Style. She is also the historian of MHS’s Fine Arts club. When she is not participating in school activities, Leung enjoys reading, listening to music, going online, and exercising to stay healthy. In ten years, Leung sees herself traveling around the world seeing everything there is to see. Until then, she plans to make her Blue and Gold experience the best it can possibly be.

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