Although there are several stress factors in students’ lives on campus, one that takes the lead in those stress factors is schoolwork. Transitioning from a community college to a 4-year institute is tough. The workload is heavier, and I felt that the 24 hours I was given in a day began to feel like 4 hours! I would think, “there’s simply not enough time in a day!” However, I was wrong. There is enough time! You simply have to make the most of that time. With midterms coming up, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and filled with anxiety. Now that I’m in my second year at Oswego, I can provide some experience as to why I wasn’t successful with the burdens of midterms and how I overcame them.
1. Procrastination.
I waited until the last minute to do everything! This destroyed my well-being.I added on unnecessary stress to my life, which caused me to have a weaker immune system. So, on top of me being worried about tests and exams, I started getting sick quite frequently. My advice? Don’t put off tomorrow what can be done today.
2. Unhealthy Living
I was at late night in the dining hall every night! I opted for the most sugary and fattening foods known to man. Cheese fries sprinkled with bacon bits, ice cream, cheesecake, and fried this and fried that. Little did I know, these foods were slowing me down mentally and physically. My advice? When I began to incorporate exercise and more fruits and vegetables in my diet, I felt like a new woman! Also, I began to hydrate myself constantly with water. Many people are dehydrated because they don’t drink enough water! This leads to lower cognition ability and concentration levels, which are key factors needed to ace the midterm!
3. Poor Time Management
I love to hang out with people, text, and Facebook. Now, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with those things, but just like a diet, your time should be well balanced. My advice? Go and buy a planner, or if you are cheap like me, tear out a piece of paper and list everything you need to get accomplished! Tell yourself that you will get these things done! Start setting goals and deadlines for yourself. Having a social life is very important, but they shouldn’t make up most of your time and the same could be said about your studies. Schedule a time when you will get on Facebook and schedule a time you will log off. If you lack self-control like me, there is actually a self-control app you can download to your computer or phone that will lock you out of such distracting sites.
I’m sure the list could go on and on, but if you can master these concepts, not only will you ace your midterms, life will become a lot more endurable!
Good Luck!
Erin Newkirk, MOST Mentor
OzTransferStudent Blog 