The middle of the semester marks a stressful time for all college students. After weeks of doing the minimum to get by, we reach a point where reality hits and we realize we need to pull out the syllabi we've had tucked away since we received them on the first day of classes and utilize our brainpower to attain the grades that will often determine how the rest of the semster will go. We’ve been dreading it all semester, but the season has arrived in the blink of an eye, just as it always does. One by one, we get hit by the 13 stages of midterm season.
1. Denial
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You know the season is approaching, but you choose to deny it rather than deal with it. It’s probably too early to start studying, anyway, and wouldn’t you rather wait to start until closer to the date of the test so you can cover more of the material in class?
2. Anxiety
You’ve been holding in your denial long enough that it’s starting to take its toll and convert to anxiety. With time, you become more nervous about your upcoming papers and tests. You know you should probably take action, but college without schoolwork is too much fun to give up.
3. Acceptance
You start to accept that it’s time to cut down the fun as you prepare for your mid-semester assignments. You acknowledge that midterm season is in the air, and you have a duty as a student that you must tend to. It's almost as good as studying...but not quite.
4. Procrastination
You’ve come a long way since the beginning of this process, and now that you’re so close to actually opening a book, your creativity begins to shine as you come up with every possible excuse to avoid actually doing so. You’ve suddenly become dedicated to cleaning your room, running your errands, and getting a good night’s sleep in an attempt to take advantage of anything else you can do to use your time wisely and not study.
5. Pressure
The longer you put it off, the more the pressure piles on. You feel the clock ticking along with the accumulating burden of schoolwork on your shoulders, and so the anxiety continues.
6. Motivation
You’ve been dealing with the stress of upcoming midterms for awhile now, but there’s no reason why you shouldn’t have started already. You’re a completely capable individual who’s come this far and have survived midterms in the past, and you can do it this time around, too! Your future is in your hands, and now’s your chance to show what you can do. A surge of motivation powers over you as you get closer to actually opening a book.
7. Productivity
You finally take your aggressions out onto your schoolwork. Your assignments have been taking over your thoughts and now you begin to take action. After all that procrastination, you’re productive and effective in tackling your assignments.
8. Cramming
As productive as you are, there is unfortunately a time restraint. You’ve got a bunch of things due in the same week and lots of material to cover. You cram all your work into a short period of time in order to complete what’s necessary.
9. Overproduction Mode
In order to cram efficiently, you force your body into overproduction mode, which often includes all-nighters, skipped meals, and alienation from the outside world. You dedicate the majority of your life to acing all your assignments and temporarily practically surrender your humanity as a result.
10. Performance
Deadlines and test days arrive. It’s time to finally do your best and show what you know! The past few weeks have been leading up to this, and it’s finally your time to shine!
11. Relief
Nothing matches up to that breath of relief after having completed yet another midterm season, especially if you’ve done so confidently. What’s done is done, and that massive weight is finally lifted off your shoulders.
12. Celebration
With the completion of midterm season comes the retrieval of freedom, and that calls for a celebration. You’ve earned a few nights of recklessness after all that hard work and to take advantage of that free time between now and finals season!
Midterms are stressful, but at least we all stress together. It's important to remember that you're not alone and are surrounded by other students who are going through the same thing as you. You may as well suffer through the stages together, and don't forget to celebrate when it's over!
