By: Macey-Marie Hobson

As the semester continues, midterm season is closing in. There are several resources available for students and various departments with great advice to combat burnout and stay on top of your studies. 

UAB Writing Center

Cely Thompson, tutor program coordinator and academic success coach Vulcan Materials Academic Success Center (VMASC) offers the following advice.

• Do not wait until the last minute to start preparing. Go ahead and start reviewing the course material a little bit at a time in the weeks leading up to midterms. This is also a great time to utilize the academic resources that UAB offers, such as: VMASC tutoring, supplemental instruction, math learning lab, the writing center, or the Collat tutoring lab. These resources can help you get clarity about anything that may be confusing or challenging in your courses. 

1. Creating a group chat with your classmates is a great way to get to know each other, ask questions, and even just talk about how you feel about to the course. Making connections with professors is essential, do not be afraid to go to their office hours or email them with questions about the material. Making connections with professors outside of class often results in the professor noticing you more in the classroom, which is a great way to stay engaged.
2. Many students are feeling burnt out partially because there are no boundaries between school and home right now. Set clear times for studying and have a dedicated study space, if possible. Many students find it difficult to concentrate at home, which is totally understandable. However, small things like sitting at a desk instead of your sofa can totally impact engagement and concentration. Try to treat class and studying like you normally would­. You should get out of bed, get dressed, and find a conducive place for learning. The library is open now at a limited capacity, so students can study there if they need to get out of the house.

UAB Student Counseling Center

Angela Stowe, Ph.D., NCC, director of UAB Student Counseling Services gives four tips.

1. Establish a daily routine and rhythm. This is significant to help your stress and anxiety. If you are flying by the seat of your pants every day, your brain is constantly having to use energy to figure out what it needs to do. Routine helps you know what you need to do, know that you have the time to get things done and use the energy toward other things such as school, work, or fun things.  Be sure you are working breaks into your routine for meals, stretching, resting your brain and having fun.
2. Movement throughout the day is important for your body and your brain. Especially during the pandemic, students have reported that getting outside has been one of the number one ways they have de-stressed. A dose of vitamin D from the sunshine does your body and brain a lot of good.
3. Breaking studying and tasks into smaller steps and mapping those out on a schedule will go a long way in helping you to be prepared for all the things you need to do.
4. Watch that critical voice in your head saying you are not doing enough, you should have done better, or that others are so much better than you are. Catch those thoughts and check to see how they are affecting you. When negativity creeps in, try to reframe your thinking to be more compassionate. Speak to yourself you would with your friend or someone you care about if they were being critical or hard on themselves. It is hard enough being in college, especially during a pandemic, so be kind to yourself.  

Students are dealing with an unconventional way of learning and attending classes. However, there are ways to make this semester less stressful. Be sure to monitor your mental health and take care of yourself during midterm season. Good luck Blazers!

Download UAB’s newest mental health app, B Well, to create your own self-care plan in preparation for midterms.