I am lying in bed, sniffling and coughing while writing this article. Flu season might have already passed, but the midterm season is here! This week I had three midterms within a 24-hour timeline. Not only that, but I was also juggling work and a very stressful personal life while trying to study for all of these midterms. After a long night of studying and a quick two-hour nap, I woke up sick to take my last midterm of the week. It sucked waking up after working so hard; it was like I was purposely being punished for studying and trying to do well. Here are a few tips I learned this week to avoid getting sick during the most dangerous season of all: midterms season.

1. Sleep.

There's only so much you can cram into your head before an exam. From what I've learned, it's better to get rest so your brain can absorb and retain that information instead of trying to stuff more information in your brain that won't be absorbed because of lack of sleep.

2. Eat healthy.

What's worse than not eating and studying instead? Eating poorly because you have no time to eat. Prepare light and healthy snacks before you know you're going to study for hours. Then, take brakes in hour increments to eat those pre-washed berries or pre-cut veggies. Don't get lazy and cave into ordering a whole pie from JoyRun.

3. Drink water.

Just like whenever you're doing anything active like running, hiking, or biking, you must hydrate yourself. Same for studying. You must hydrate your brain because you brain is working overtime!

Hopefully, all of these tips will help you maintain a healthy lifestyle while studying for midterms. I learned the hard way this week and am currently in bed downing Tylenol and NyQuil so I don't fall behind in class; not to mention, I'm coughing every two seconds and feeling lousy. You don't want to get sick right after studying so hard for midterms or worse: get sick during midterms week. So gear your body up responsibly and take care of yourself!

Always,

Viv