It’s that time of the semester where that initial excitement from the new school year has long passed and only thing our lives consist of is preparing for midterm exams. Winter break can’t get here soon enough, but in the meantime, here are a few strategies that might make this time a bit easier for you…    

Write down everything you need to do or study for, along with their deadlines and test dates. This way you have everything laid out in front of you, and you can prioritize what needs to get done first. Make sure you check things off your priority list once you’ve completed them. This will make your list seem much more manageable, and help keep you feeling accomplished and motivated.  

If you consistently study in the same space, you can program your mind into study mode whenever you’re present in that space. Try studying in a few different places and figure out which works best for you. The library (try a study cubby), your apartment or dorm room, a nearby coffee shop, or a study lounge on campus are all good places to try. Once you've found a place that you can focus at, continue to return to that same space every time and your mind will automatically kick into study gear once it becomes a habit.

If you know that you are someone who tends to take mini breaks to check Facebook, Twitter, text messages, or anything that will distract you, put your phone on the Do Not Disturb setting or even better… turn it off.  Another thing I find distracting when tying to concentrate is clutter. Once you’ve found your study space, make sure to keep it clear and organized.  If you tend to study in your room, keep your room clean so that little things on the floor aren’t keeping your attention from your books.

In order to stay up to date on your work, you should occasionally take the time to go through all your class notes and materials and then summarize them as cohesively as possible into outline form. Taking breaks to go over your notes throughout the unit shows you what you know and what material you need help with. These outlines serve as an awesome study aid when it comes time for exams. Instead of scrambling back and forth through notes and texts, you’ll have all your information organized.

In college, it’s not uncommon to develop an abnormal sleep schedule, however, we should really attempt to get a good nights rest the night before an exam. While we sleep, our brain is consolidating everything we learned and studied that day. Waking up feeling refreshed and giving time to let everything sink in over night can make all the difference it achieving good grades.