By Fatima Salinas

We’ve made it to the halfway point! Midterms, projects, and papers are piling up, and it might feel like there’s never enough time to study or get everything done. If you’re like me, you may also be missing a bit of your social life as academics start to take over. Don’t worry, you’re not alone! Every student feels the pressure around this time of year.

If you’re looking for ways to beat the midterm blues or push through mid-semester exams, check out my tips on how to stay motivated and succeed through the finish line.

Organize study group hangouts

Sometimes studying alone can do more harm than good when it comes to retaining information for exams. Personally, when I have multiple tests coming up, I like to organize study group hangouts with friends. Having others around who are also focused on studying or doing homework helps me stay on tasks and avoid distractions. Plus, if I need an extra push, my friends can quiz me on the material or offer new ways to understand the content.

Even if I don’t have a lot of homework but am in an energy slump and cannot bring myself to do other tasks (like getting started on a paper or project), getting together with friends will always be a productive use of my time. I always finish those hangouts with work started, better content retention than if I’d studied alone, or even completely free for the night because I accomplished everything I’d set out to do.

Get a hobby

Taking a break and decompressing is a smart way to refresh your mind. Studying for hours at a time, multiple times a day, and for days at a time can affect your mood and energy.

If there’s a movie or video game you’ve been wanting to start, now’s the perfect time to indulge a little. Watching something lighthearted or playing a favorite game can help you unwind and shift your mindset. You could also pick up that book you set aside when midterms started. Reading for pleasure can be a simple and effective way to reset your thoughts.

For those who prefer something more active, taking a walk or going for a jog with friends can do wonders. Fresh air, movement, and good company can help clear your mind and lift your mood.

Meet with your professor or TA

Before an exam or while working on a project, it’s common to hit a block when trying to understand the material or make progress. When that happens, reaching out to your professor, teaching assistant, or tutor can be extremely helpful.

If I’m struggling with a project before the deadline, I like to email my professors to see if they can explain a section in a different way or meet up to review what I’ve completed so far. When questions come up while I’m studying that aren’t in my notes, I reach out to my TAs—either by email or during office hours—to set up a quick tutoring session or go over anything I’m unsure about.

Know that your TAs are more than open to meeting with you and cover the material you need to master before an exam; they have taken those courses before, so their tips might just be more useful than you thought!