As the final week of the term comes to a close many students find themselves stressing about their upcoming midterms.

There are many ways for students to prepare themselves for the midterm yet many students find themselves struggling as time runs out.

If you find that you need to have a quiet atmosphere to study, a great tip would be to study in the morning. Many people find that mornings are a quiet time to study.

Researchers have proven that students who study in the morning not only retain the information for a longer period of time but they also learn faster than later in the day because, students “are refreshed in the morning after a good night’s sleep and should have just had an energy-filled breakfast.”

A big thing to remember as you’re walking into the testing room is the exam is there to test your knowledge on the subject; it isn’t a test of your identity or personal worth.

Many student struggle with this feeling as though if they don’t pass the exam they’re a failure, but that’s not true. Through this difficult time do simple things to help encourage you and those around you. Some simple gestures such as small words of encouragement, or any kind gesture, can really help anyone during this stressful time. Don’t be too hard on yourself.

If there’s still this feeling that you can’t get through this find a study buddy, a close friend or even a family member. Having someone there to cheer you on and push you forward is a great tool in improving not only your score on your exam, but also improve your mental attitude toward this exam.

Having a positive mental attitude is very important during any sort of test or exam, not only do you feel better going into it but you also have a clear thought process which will help you improve your score.

If you don’t think a study buddy would help you but you still feel like you need a change in your studying routine change up your scenery. Going to the library or a park or anywhere you find peaceful to get work done can greatly motivate you in this process.

If you still find yourself to be distracted along with unable to concentrate turn everything off, turn off your phone, TV — anything that is a distraction — and focus on the task at hand. Putting away these distractions will allow you to forget about them for the time being and concentrate on studying. These few moments without staring at your phone will actually benefit your future and test score.

This exam shouldn’t take up every second of your time before it’s here; schedule certain times that you are going to sit down and study, don’t just dedicate all of your time to sitting in a room stressed and pulling on your hair to study. Go do your daily things such as seeing friends or going out to eat — whatever it may be that you do — and set certain times your going to study that way you still get your fun and aren’t just sitting there miserable.

This will put you in a better and more motivated state of mind, allowing you to think more clearly and concentrate better rather than sitting there panicking.

When asked how they prepare themselves for midterms senior Destiny Lavertue says, “ I make my own study guide on terms and sections I didn’t understand and just study those sections.”

Making a study guide is a great resource to have, especially when it’s full of information you don’t remember. There’s no need to go over information you already know so this method will greatly benefit you on your exam.

Senior Emma Mayou says that she finds it helpful to “rewrite notes and use flashcards and quizlet.” Rewriting notes is a great way to study because, as The Order Expert Rashelle states, it “gives your mind another chance to grasp information and process it, rather than just passively glancing through the material.”

If you find that you need help focusing while studying, chew gum and drink lots of water. This will wake you up more and make you more concentrated. You can also get up and go for a walk or go splash some cold water onto your face; that way you’ll be refreshed and ready to get back to work.

Be careful of you caffeine intake throughout this process. Sure, at the moment it might wake you up but after an hour or so it runs you down makes you feel tired and fatigue. Drink water or tea instead, it’s good for you along with not making you feel drowsy or fatigue.

A big thing to remember is to not compare yourself to others, that will only worsen your situation and make you feel more stressed out. Everyone learns at different speeds along with methods and something that works for someone else may not work for you, and that’s okay. Just take some time to find what benefits you and don’t do what everyone else is doing, you’ll just be taking steps backwards and that’s not where you wanna be going.

Although you may have heard this speech so many times it is important: Get Sleep. It is very important and beneficial to get enough sleep the night before an exam. Many people stay up all night before their exam cramming in studying time before the next day. That doesn’t work; the lack of sleep affects your studying and concentration, so although you read that same page ten times in your head already you really on remembered one sentence.

If you go to bed early you will wake up refreshed and you can then go over any study materials you need before the exam, you will retain the information and be wide awake as well as concentrated and motivated for this exam.

Keep in mind that although you may be insanely stressed right now midterms and exams don’t last forever, there only here for the time being. You will get through this as long as you don’t over think and panic. Take the time to breath and relax, follow these tips and you might just put your mind to ease.

When your exam is done, its done, don’t sit there and dwell on it, move on and focus on whatever is coming up next in your life. Just remember that you’ll get through it and you’ll do great.