So midterms suck, and somehow students seem to find themselves in a world of tests one right after the other. That was me this past week, and if you're anything like the overloaded student that I am, you'll understand the stress levels that push you to tears. You know how, typically, on sports teams, there will be a "Hell Week" of non-stop workouts and 2-a-days? This is exactly college...except with 3, 4, 5, and 6-a-days. Left exhausted, hungry, maybe a little smelly from a lack of showers due to constant studying, students scramble to memorize weeks worth of information off of a study guide to pass the class because a 91% compared to an 89% on exams, can (and does) make all the difference. This all perfectly describes how my brain felt. However, I noticed some things that seem to make my week a little less hell-ish if you will.

1. Staying Hydrated~You don't realize how you really love water until your bottle is out and there's no vending machine/water fountain in sight and you only have 17 minutes left on your timed Health exam.

2. Get Some Brain Food~ My personal favorite are pomegranates (not just because of it's heart healthy benefits) but in all honesty, because these babies are the rubies of nature and I am thoroughly obsessed with them. P.S. THEY'RE IN SEASON!

3. Make Flashcards~ I haven't a clue why, but completing my study guides with flashcards saves my life every time. However, I don't use this method for my statistics work. Instead, for math, I tend to try and take my time on the study guides AND THEN go back and write in words the steps and/or reasoning I had behind completing each problem. This may seem a little excessive, but for anyone who perceives math as a foreign language like I do, it really does help!

4. Maintain Your Focus~ Staying off of Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, The Odyssey, or Snapchat, may prove to be more difficult than you thought, but you need to bust out your work before anything else! This may result in you throwing your phone across the room out (not recommended) of frustration upon realizing how much work you still have to do, but hey! At least you phone isn't in your hands anymore!

5. Perhaps The Most Important Of All~ Keep a handy dandy box of tissues next to you at all times. This isn't just because people tend to get sick around this time of year, but moreso because no matter how much you prepare and maintain a steady workflow...tears are inevitable. Be ready.

and last, but certainly not least...

6. Don't Forget To Take Break~ This may be in the form of Netflix, a quick gym sesh, screaming into a pilow, or looking for a good laugh! If you need ideas for getting a good laugh in, i'd suggest looking up videos of dogs trying to say "i love you", throwback Disney music videos, or an exclusive into the conversations between two 5 year olds bickering over who is the bigger puppet! You really can't go wrong with any of the three!

May the testing odds be ever in your favor...