It’s that time of the year again. The day you’ve been dreading since you walked into the doors of Hingham High School on September 8, 2015. Midyear Exams. Don’t you just hate looking at that evil, disgusting pair of words? I do, dare I say we all do. But, despite our stupid, adolescent desire to rebel, midyears are simply something we must do. Over the years, I’ve accumulated some tips to help you study and relieve stress for these lovely exams.

1. Study. Obvious yes, but this is also the most basic step. Despite its front of simplicity, this step can actually be the easiest to mess up. To avoid self-destructive failure, I’ve broken some tips down for you:
   1. Set up a study schedule. Organizing yourself ahead of studying saves yourself wasted time in the long run. Know what you’re going to study and when, because this can make studying a bit more manageable and overall less stressful.
   2. Try to not procrastinate. Its very hard to avoid procrastination, and from my position of chief procrastinator, it can be very annoying when people tell you, “just don’t procrastinate!”. It is simply not that easy. But you have to try. It’s okay to give yourself short, well-deserved breaks, just make sure you actually end up going back to work. If you find yourself going to the dark playground in which you tell yourself you’re having fun by not doing what you have to, you will soon realize you are not having fun, and studying will be far more rewarding than simply worrying about not studying.
   3. Create study methods. Don’t just skim over chapters that you barely read two months ago and call that studying. Make flashcards, use Quizlet or StudyStack. Read over notes, make a study guide, use practice tests and quizzes.

2. Don’t overwork yourself. Make sure you get enough sleep and eat well. I recommend eating plenty of protein and healthy fats. Drink plenty of water and don’t overdo on the caffeine.

3. Relax. Midyears can be very stressful as well all know, but remaining calm is very important. Take some deep breaths, drink a cup of tea, pet a few puppies, and be on your way.