It’s October and the chilly autumn air is ushering in a month of horror and torment. Essays and assignments are piling up higher each day and the dreaded midterm season is reaching out its icy hand to wrap around our tired souls.

We have two options — walk out of class, hop on a plane and never return, or we buckle down and survive the season. Chances are we can only afford the second option.

But we can lessen the blow by taking care of ourselves during this trying time. The Sheaf presents a list of cliché midterm tips and tricks that, despite their tired motif, can actually have a huge impact.

Eating and drinking

In times of stress, our relationship with food generally goes one or two ways — we either forget to eat or can’t bring ourselves to, or we mindlessly devour everything in sight. Both of these are poor strategies and can lead to some serious health effects, mentally and physically. 

While it can be hard to manage studying and cooking — or grocery shopping for that matter — having a hot meal can make a huge difference on our existence. Besides cutting out mental fog, good food just makes us feel a bit better.

Keep exercising 

While midterm season may not be the time to start a work-out routine, you should still try to fit a bit of exercise into your tight schedule. Keep hitting the gym to de-stress and shake that feeling of impending doom. Studies have found that regular aerobic exercise, the kind that gets your heart rate up, may help improve your memory. So it might be wise to incorporate some physical activity into your study routine.

Take a break

You are not going to do yourself any favours by studying until you pass out from exhaustion in a mess of tear-stained pages. After a marathon study session, shut it down at a reasonable time and turn your eyes to Netflix. 

Reassess your goals

You tend to be more motivated when you have goals and aspirations in your sightline. Trying to get into grad school or a professional college? Trying to pass that really difficult class? All our goals are different and there are many paths to achieving them. Midterm season is a good time to check in to see if you are still on track. Assess if your goal is specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely — nursing students, you know what I’m talking about.

Sleep

We all know the sheer panic of trying to cram half of a semester of information into a night of studying, but staying up late — or not sleeping at all — can severely impact our health and academic performance. Make sure you catch a solid sleep the night before. Your brain will thank you.

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Erin Matthews/ Opinions Editor

Graphic: Shawna Langer/ Graphics Editor