While watching an episode from Netflix may seem like a viable option for a study break, we all know that one episode is a slippery slope to two, then three, then just one more… then before you know it, it's season two, and ten of your favorite characters are dead. I know everyone tells you to “get up and get moving,” which gives me flashbacks of the mandatory stretching breaks during middle school testing, but it doesn’t have to be that monotonous. The most effective breaks, in my opinion, are ones that aren’t too distracting or interesting but get you just energized enough to study one more chapter of biology or government or whichever subject you have to know a whole semester of by Monday.

For the key to overall efficient studying, click here.

1. Basic Exercises

I know you’ve been told to keep active to keep your energy up. It may sound boring, but trust me—it works. Pick exercises where no equipment is needed. Study for half an hour. Do fifty sit-ups. Another half hour. 30 push-ups. Find a system that works with your material and takes into account your honest physical stamina. Do five burpees per unit. Do ten jumping jacks every time you miss a flashcard. Get creative and mix up the combinations. You probably won’t mind going back to studying interquartile ranges or landmark supreme court cases if it means you get to stop doing push-ups. Plus, you’ll get in your exercise for the day during exam week, which is typically difficult to manage.

2. Call A Friend

Actually call them. Not text. Call. Ring up your sibling at college, your second cousin, anyone in your contact list. Call your grandma; she’d love to hear from you, and it’s a way better use of your time than catching up on random YouTube videos you won’t remember in a week. People, at least in my experience, tend to move around a lot when they talk on the phone, so this technique fulfills the blood-flowing bonus of a break. Plus, you can tell them you need to go back to studying in five or ten minutes. They’ll hold you accountable and give you a nudge of encouragement you’ll need to continue your fifteen-page study guide packet or ninety-nine-term Quizlet.

3. Tidy Your Room

Turn on some energetic music, and finally organize that section of your room you’ve been avoiding. Give yourself a set limit of songs. One, three, five, however many you decide, stick to your number. Make your bed. Fold and put away your laundry. Refill the glass of water on your nightstand. You can vacuum your living room, organize your bathroom counter, dust your desk, or tend to anything that isn’t as neat as it should be. I’ve found tidiness usually gets pushed towards the back burner during exam week, and it’s a mundane but active enough task that makes a wildly efficient study break.

I’m not going to lie. I’ve taken the study five minutes, get distracted for thirty minutes, fall asleep, and cram the night before route. It’s a long and winding road, and I would not recommend it if you’re trying to get boost up your semester grade those crucial couple points. Try one of these three efficient study breaks for your first mid-term, and see if it works for you. If not, try the next one or a combination of a few. Everyone learns in different ways, at different speeds, and has different strengths. Don’t be afraid to branch out with your studying or refreshing lacks thereof. But remember, if you squander this term’s studying opportunities, there’s always next semester.