It’s the middle of the semester – the initial days of college fun are over; your excitement has died down and now you are expected to gear up for the upcoming midterm exams.
Urban Dictionary has an interesting definition for midterm blues. It describes it as “the feeling you get when you know you should be studying but instead, you’re on Facebook crying about how much your life sucks.”
Does that ring a bell?
We agree, with all those tests, assignments and projects, midterms can get increasingly stressful. Here are 5 ways to overcome midterm blues and reignite your motivation.
1. Write and Revisit your Goals
Writing down goals is often taken granted. In reality, this simple practice can do wonders to your motivation.
Do this little exercise – in a piece of paper write down your goal and paste it on your bulletin board. This will serve as a good reminder and propel you to move forward. It will reinstate what you want to achieve in life and how doing well in college is a step towards that.
So, on days when you’re not able to crush your lack of motivation and finish the task at hand, revisit your goal and it will hopefully get you back on track.
2. Create a Study Schedule
Do you have an essay due soon but you’re struggling to gather the motivation to start writing?
Let’s face it – we’ve all started our day, thinking we will be super productive but by the end of it, realized how we didn’t even achieve half of what we thought we would.
Do you know what would help this situation? Creating a study schedule. It’s a great way to streamline your studying habits and organize your tasks. Most importantly, don’t forget to assign deadlines to each task and tick them off your list as you go.
You’ll be surprised to see how that fuels your motivation and boosts productivity.
3. Group Study
Study groups when taken seriously can be an effective strategy to learn better. Not only does it make studying fun, but it also very reassuring to see a group of people in the same boat, working towards a common goal and motivating each other to study.
So, form a group of 4 to 6 people, find a distraction-free spot, set clear goals for every session and assign specific roles to each study member. That way, every study session is fruitful, and you come out learning (and retaining) a lot more than you would have if you were to study alone.
4. Speak to Someone
At a time when you’re feeling overwhelmed with everything you’re expected to do, make sure you reach out to someone and speak up. Don’t drown yourself in all the stress and suffer in silence.
It helps to talk to a friend, family member or a therapist and share what you’re going through. Sometimes, even the simplest conversations about something completely unrelated can help you alter your perspective and reignite your motivation to keep going.
5. Give yourself a Break
Feel like there is too much on your plate right now? Sometimes it feels like you have absolutely no time to slow down because you have so much to get done.
Give yourself a break. This will not only de-stress you but will also fill you with motivation to complete the remaining tasks.
In an attempt to deal with midterms, many students overlook their health. So, get at least 8 hours of sleep, maintain a healthy morning routine and have a balanced diet. When you start taking care of your physical and mental health, you will see a rise in productivity and have a calmer approach towards your assignments and exams.
Midterm blues are quite common, and so are the problems associated with it. However, proper time management and self-care will ensure that you efficiently dodge them without losing your mind. All the best – and always keep your goal in mind.
