This is my fourth time at the rodeo, and I can (hopefully) say at this point that I have this whole midterm process down. I not-so-fondly recall the weekend before my first round of midterms freshman year, but then I remember walking out of school every day the week of midterms feeling slightly more relieved than I had the day before. So, what is the key to midterms? It is different for everyone, but here are some pointers to get you on the right track.

1. Calm down.

Panicking and pacing around your room debating which exam to start studying for first will be productive about .0001 in 10 times. Get your papers organized if you have not been placing them in their respective binders this semester, and make a game plan – perhaps an hour by hour schedule of what units exactly you would like to review.

2. Study with friends.

Studying alone can become tedious and distracting. Get some change in scenery, perhaps by going to Ludington Library or a coffee shop, and hang out with a group of friends. They will give you some relief from getting too bogged down in work, but will also keep you in line – just as you will do for them.

3. Do you.

Pamper yourself! Stay in and take that bubble bath you have been dreaming of and catch up on some lost sleep from the stressful week leading up to midterms.

4. Prioritize.

If you are particularly weak in a certain class, allocate more of your study time towards preparing for that midterm. I am running up against everything I have ever been told in saying this, but cramming is fine. If you can get by with a grade you want after a few hours of drill and kill memorization then great, do it. This method just gives you that much more time to practice for other midterms.

5. Reward yourself after exams!

After such a long week, enjoy the final half day! Go to Chipotle (pro-tip: go to the one in Wayne, it will save you forty minutes of waiting), see a movie, bake a cake, get froyo, or, my personal favorite, drink iced coffee — and lots of it.

Cheers to a successful round of midterms, and please do not freak out; it is a four day week of three hours in school!

Have any advice of your own? Share it in the comments below!