IT’S THE MOST wonderful time of the year!
With students a-studying,
and everyone telling you, “Midterms are here,”
It’s the most wonderful time of the year.
It’s the scar-scariest season of all.
With those warnings of cheating and group project meetings.
When exams come to call,
it’s the scar-scariest season of all.
There’ll be readings for reading,
proposals for writing,
and slipping out in the snow.
There’ll be scary test stories,
and tales of the glories of
freshman year long, long ago.
And so it is here again—midterm season! It seems like the semester has just started, yet we are already inundated with take-home exams, paper proposals, and group projects.
During midterms, trying to fit in workouts can be one more source of stress, especially when you’re trying to balance classes, studying, and assignments. But exercise is a great stress-buster, so to reap the benefits while still having time for everything else, follow these tips.
If you’re spending a lot of time at Morriset Library these days, you have a golden opportunity to fit in some exercise—skip the crazy elevator lines and take the stairs instead. Bonus: You won’t be shoved up against a couple with braces making out in the corner of the elevator (true story).
If you’re studying at home, instead of taking a Facebook break every hour (or every 15 minutes—let’s be real), take an exercise break. Set a timer for five minutes, and find a spot beside your study area where you can do push-ups, crunches, squats, or lunges.
It’s easy to doze off while studying if you’re propped up in a chair with a stack of flash cards. Move the study sesh to a yoga mat and hold a pose while reviewing each flash card. Before you know it, you will have flipped through an entire stack of flash cards and moved through several different yoga poses.
Reward yourself after a day of studying with a skate on the canal in the company of friends. Bring your skates to school with you, and after you’ve reached a set goal (ie. read three chapters, written five pages), grab some friends, strap on those skates, and go for a spin.
—Katherine DeClerq
