As midterms become the giant wall to clear between students and Christmas break, we are reminded that the semester is half way over. Two emotions can stem from this realization, the first is fear. Am I passing? Should I drop the class? Will I ever graduate? The second is excitement. You've almost got another semester behind you. Your future is on the cusp of becoming a reality. Everyone begins to open the books that they had been forced to buy for the class and hadn't needed until this one test. This is the point in the semester that it's so easy to stay in bed and pretend to sleep through class. Midterm weeks define the students that are willing to go the extra mile and those that just want to scrape by. This is not to say that everyone that skips class isn't a phenomenal student, because everyone has those days. The real challenge is coming back from those days with a strong sense of purpose and renewed heart. To do that is really to invest in yourself.

Self care is so important and often overlooked. With the constant stress that college students are put under, knowing how to be able to take care of themselves emotionally can be the difference in whether or not they get their degree. Self care is mostly encouraged for students in the degree plans that will eventually land them in careers that work very closely with people. The problem is that every career path is going to have major challenges and stress and the education about self care should not be limited. The very basic concept of self care is taking the time to check in with how you are doing emotionally and physically. Are you sleeping? When did you last eat? What are you most stressed about? The part of normal daily life that gets tossed out the window the minute we begin to stress.

The best advice to survive midterms is to take the time from studying and invest in you. Spend time in a devotional. Dance around your living room like an idiot. Color until you can't anymore.Go for a run. Take a bath. You will be floored at how quickly your perspective changes. Those small acts are the key to renewing you for your tests, but also to restart your fire for the rest of the semester. Don't underestimate the power of taking care of yourself, it will make the ultimate difference in your well being. In the meantime, know that you as a student and a person are doing so wonderfully, and nothing will stop you from achieving your dreams.