Mid-Term Mania

It's that time of the semester again - mid-terms; those wonderful exams, projects, etc. that are precursors to your semester finals. I guess it's good that three out of my four profs are giving mid-terms prior to fall break. The lone hold-out, Dr. Hutton from history, is giving us a take home exam. (Groan!) I really wanted to enjoy my fall break!

This is what my fall break looks like: work on History exam, visit to Appalachian State University to talk about grad school, work on History exam, mental health day with a friend and Greekfest, DON'T work on History exam, travel to LaGrange to watch Megan play volleyball, work on History exam. It would be a great fall break if I didn't have to work on my History exam. Such is life.

How does one survive mid-terms, especially when one has more than one mid-term in one day? Take a deep cleansing breath and try these tips:
1. Get a good night's sleep. You don't want to face plant into your desk mid-exam.
2. Eat a good breakfast. The exam-induced stillness of the classroom only acts as an amplifier to your growling stomach.
3. Make sure you get your green book, Scantron or other test paraphernalia the day BEFORE the exam, not the day of. Don't be a Last Minute Lucy and risk being late for the exam by standing in line at the bookstore with all the other Last Minute Lucys purchasing the needed items for the exam that your prof told you about two weeks ago. (roll eyes here)
4. Make sure you visit the restroom prior to the exam. No explanation needed.
5. Relax and just let all the stuff crammed into your head flow out of your head, down your arm, into your hand and onto the paper. Hopefully, it will be right stuff for the right exam!

You can also calm your nerves by singing simple songs like, "The Itsy Bisty Spider" or "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star". I need to learn "The Itsy, Bitsy Spider" in Spanish so I can sing that on the way to Spanish class next Wednesday.

Tell yourself, "This will be over soon and then I am on to bigger and better things . . . like the holidays." I have some survival tips for that, too - surviving the end of the semester while faced head-on with Thanksgiving and Christmas. Another blog. Good luck! May we all get A's!! Stay tuned . . .