stress relief tips to prepare for midterms

By Chelsea Natale, 2027

Published 1/3/2024

With midterms approaching quickly, teachers are pushing larger than normal quantities of work onto students in order to fit enough content in before exams, causing students to stress over the increasingly overwhelming workload. To help alleviate stress before midterms start, here are 5 tips from a study by the University of Colorado Boulder to help relieve stress.

1. Make time for yourself: When balancing homework and extracurriculars, it is often difficult to find time for yourself. This may mean taking short study breaks or a relaxing nap. It may also mean getting more sleep at night if you are finding yourself extremely tired during the day. Whether it is limiting your study time by setting a specific bedtime or simply stopping procrastination to finish early, you must find methods that work best for you. 

2. Create a plan in small steps: Taking small steps in studying can be as easy as starting with the assignment that you want to do. If you are someone who does the bigger assignments first, set an alarm to “focus on the things you can accomplish in five to 10 minutes” (University of Colorado Boulder). Creating small goals can help with time management and motivation and ease overwhelming feelings.

3. Brain Dump: When feeling overworked and stressed, it can be hard identifying what is the root cause of the feelings. Using a piece of paper or a notebook, writing down your feelings and how they have affected you can help potentially identify any causes of stress. Knowing why it is happening can help bring weight off your shoulders and help to change the situation.

4. Small Victories: With so much homework being dumped on students right before break, any small reward is greatly appreciated. “Whether you’ve been studying for one exam or several, it’s important to acknowledge the progress you’ve made” (University of Colorado Boulder). If the reward is watching an episode of your favorite TV show or eating a snack, making the reward something to look forward to is and important motivator. 

5. Take Back Control: More often than not, life seems to get out of control, but sitting back and taking a second to reflect on what you have accomplished can help ground you back in the moment. Sometimes, you may need to take a moment in the middle of class or well finishing an assignment at home.  Allowing yourself to "breathe a sigh of relief that you completed something on your to-do list and can now focus on other things” (University of Colorado Boulder) helps you recognize your progress.

These won’t totally rid you of the stress of taking a test as big as midterms, but they can certainly help you manage it. Good luck on midterms, Rams!!!