De-Stress Your Midterms

As midterms week approaches, some of you may be feeling slightly anxious about the tasks you have to accomplish before Fall Break begins. There are a lot of practical things you can do to prepare for your tests and make sure you are organized and ready to go:

• Create a 2-week To Do list, being very realistic about what you must do and how much time it will take
• Catch up on any homework or reading you may have left to do
• Chat with your professor if you have any concerns
• Form a study group
• Work ahead if you can

These, though, are not the only things to keep in mind as you study; you also have to maintain your sanity and not go crazy while cramming...though you shouldn't be cramming to begin with:) Study breaks can be just as vital as the information you are storing in your brains. Here are some tips from me to help take a break from the stress of midterms:

• Take a deep breath and relax; spend a few minutes visualizing a restful place, like the beach or a hammock
• Take a few short breaks for healthy snacks
• Go into the neutral zone for a few minutes and a few hellos
• Watch a half-hour comedy on TV or hulu.com
• Stretch or do yoga
• Watch funny YouTube videos
• Work out
• Laugh for a bit with your roommates--even dance around the room to pump-up music

Remember: Midterms are not the end of the world.  After Fall Break, though, the semester really starts to fly by like you wouldn't believe.

Happy Studying and Good Luck! It'll be Fall Break in no time :)

Need Some Help?

Are you struggling in one of your classes?  Do you need clarification on a topic, or for it to be explained in another way?  Do you need a quick refresher or a quick recap of a certain lesson?

Check out The Khan Academy for quick, simple video tutorials on subjects ranging from chemistry to history to trigonometry!  It's easy, fast and a great extra study tool.

Procrastination and Time Management

Here is a quick recap of what we talked about last week:

Procrastination
Students may experience extra free time upon coming to college--in between classes, on weekends, etc., especially if they are not very involved in extra-curricular activities.  They can run into the routine of not doing much, however, and end up procrastinating tasks they actually must accomplish.  Procrastination, unfortunately, can lead to little sleep and bad study and learning habits.

There are many ways that students can procrastinate, as listed in "How You Procrastinate: The Method Behind the Madness":

• Ignoring the Task
• Underestimating the Task and Overestimating Yourself
• Lower Your Standards
• You are Willingly Distracted
• "Small Delays Don't Matter"
• You are Always Preparing
• Analysis Paralysis

To beat procrastination, check out the technology tips from the Sept. 21 post.  Also, schedule study time regularly; if you have nothing pressing to do, work ahead.  Practice not procrastinating in other areas of your life to develop the habit.

Time Management

As students progress through college, they will join clubs or activities, and their schoolwork will get more demanding.  This can lead to stress and time management issues.  In college, time management is incredibly important because students are in charge of their time--not teachers or parents.  Take a look at some of the changes students may face in "The Differences: High School vs. College".

To develop good time management skills, students could create To Do lists for the day, week and month, prioritizing from top to bottom; cross out tasks once they are completed and relish that sense of accomplishment.  Schedule relaxation time, and be deeply involved in a few organizations to cut out extra commitments.  Also check out these tips from the Mayo Clinic.

By learning to beat procrastination and to manage time wisely, students can develop essential survival skills for college and for life.