Midterms: one of the most stressful times of the year. I would dare to say more stressful than finals, because on top of all the tests, quizzes, and projects, you still have daily classwork fighting for your attention. And yet, we students get through it every single quarter. However, here are five5 ways to make midterm season just a little more palatable.

1. Plan some time to yourself every night.

Even if it’s just an hour for dinner, planning some time for yourself each night can help drastically with burnout. Do a face mask, go for a run, or watch Netflix – whatever puts you in your happy place. Without this time, you’ll get so tired of studying and work that you’ll put it down and never pick it back up (trust me, that was the epitome of my entire freshman year).

2. Make your study breaks short.

Any college student can tell you that that one “15-minute study break” turns into a 2-hour study break every. single. time. To combat this, set a timer and commit to it. No more guesstimating; make that study break a true 15 minutes so that you don’t get distracted and stop studying forever. This way, when you get to midterm day, you won’t be looking around at your classmates like “wait.....did we even learn this?”

3. Find a different place to study.

The Lib is great, but it’s not very conducive to productivity. It seems like the second you actually need to get work done, everyone you know decides to show up at the same time and talk to you, distracting you from what you really should to be doing. Finding a new, quieter place to work, such as a park or coffee shop, can be super beneficial to the amount of work you get done. Plus, who doesn’t want to study out on a blanket in the sun? Sounds ideal to me.

4. Find a dog. Any dog. Shower said dog with love and affection.

On the Santa Clara U campus, “De-Stress with Dogs” is a real thing during finals week, and it works. It’s almost as if the energy and excitement of the dogs you’re hanging out with rub off on you, giving you a new outlook on life. We don’t deserve these pups. So, believe me when I tell you to find a dog, any dog, and spend your study break with ‘em. You’ll thank me for it someday.

5. Buy a plane ticket…Fly far away…Don’t come back.

Okay, so maybe I’m joking with this one. Maybe. But we’ve all been there -- searching Delta Airline’s website for a flight to Hawaii when you have three midterms, two assignments, and a project due tomorrow. Yikes. But in reality, planning a weekend or day trip for after midterms is a pretty helpful way to give you motivation. I feel I am always more productive if I have something in the future that I can look forward to, even if it’s something small like a hike or nice dinner.

It may seem rough now, but it’s only a week. Fight on, Santa Clara. You got this.