In the final week before Christmas Break, we have the most dreaded days of the first semester- midterm exams. They contain all the material taught in the first half of the school year, which can be a struggle to remember for even just a single class. 

When preparing for these tests, many people tend to pull all-nighters, neglect a proper diet, and are in a state of high anxiety. These habits can negatively affect your ability to perform well by increasing stress levels, cause poor concentration, and weaken your immune system, making it more likely to become ill. Teenagers require 8-10 hours of sleep for heightened function and are recommended to maintain healthy eating habits, limiting saturated fats and sugar intake. 

Beyond focusing on your health, you need to provide yourself enough time to review, find a study group, and develop a way to learn best suited for you. Some strategies that are commonly used are creating Quizlets or flashcards, studying reviews and past practice worksheets, or simply just participating in class.

There are some cases where students fail to review all of the tested content and rush to do so the morning of the midterm. Procrastination is something everyone has fallen victim to; a survey shows that an average person spends 218 minutes daily procrastinating. This could be valuable time used in preparation for your exam. This habit can be suppressed by removing distractions, setting checkpoints and deadlines for yourself, and removing the “I’ll do it tomorrow” mentality.

In summary, on the morning before the exam, remember to relax, mentally prepare yourself, and have a nutritional breakfast before school. If you take these suggestions to heart, it will be guaranteed that you will do just fine.