As midsemester approaches, you have likely established many of the habits of a successful college student. This includes attending your classes regularly (yes, even if they meet early in the morning), establishing a schedule that allows ample time to complete assignments and study for all of your classes, and planning ahead by identifying upcoming assignments and exams, and scheduling time to complete them BEFORE they become urgent.

These good habits can help keep midterm stress to a minimum. After all, you won’t have to stay up late cramming the night before an exam if you’ve been steadily studying throughout the semester.

It can also be helpful to remember that college life follows a rhythm. While you may be very busy for a couple of weeks during midsemester, the workload usually diminishes over the following weeks before building back up again toward the end of the semester. So don’t worry—you’ll have a chance to catch your breath after midterm exams are over.

In addition to preparing for exams, the middle of your first semester is also a good time to make sure that you are getting into the swing of college life by participating in events on campus, staying connected with professors and peers, and taking advantage of college resources that can help you succeed.

How prepared are you for midterm exams? How connected are you to people and opportunities on campus? Check your progress in Exercise 5.1.

Exercise 5.1: Checklist for midsemester

Click to download a fillable document: Exercise 5.1: Checklist For Midsemester