6 Tips to Help You Stay Healthy During Midterms

If you’re anything like me, when you reach the middle of the semester, you are so focused on taking care of your academics and your extra-curricular activities that sometimes you forget to take care of yourself. If you want to get ahead of the class, you’ve got to keep yourself healthy so that you can be your best when it comes to midterm day! 

Tip 1:    Get Your Zzzzzzzzs 

Even elephants need to nap.

Getting enough sleep is super important to make sure you are both mentally and physically well. Caffeine might seem like a quick fix, and pulling an all-nighter can be really tempting, but you will perform better in school if you take the time to get a good night’s sleep. Know your body and how much sleep you need to feel restored, and make sure that you set (and abide by) your bed time. 

Having trouble getting to sleep? Check out this great resource from the Mental Health Centre – it's chalk full of great tips, like creating a regular bed time ritual, controlling your sleep environment, and avoiding the temptation to watch the clock. Each suggestion should help you combat any sleep problems that you might be encountering. 

Tip 2:    Avoid Getting Sick

The Flu Clinic will be available on campus on Nov. 7 - 8. Check the University Wellness Services for other dates.

Remember to wash your hands often and take your vitamins! To help keep you flu-free, free influenza shots are being offered for all University of Alberta students and staff from November 5-9th on the main floor of SUB. 

Student nurses will be helping to run the influenza clinic this year. One of them is my friend Catherine, who is excited to help her fellow students stay healthy this flu season. She says “it's so important for students to get immunized. We are surrounded by people on campus and the last thing a busy student needs is to catch a virus that will interfere with their studies. Influenza is much more serious than a common cold or stomach flu - I really encourage everyone to stop by the clinic to learn more and help prevent the spread of influenza on our campus!" Catherine and the rest of the students nurses helping with the flu shot event are looking forward to helping you keep healthy throughout the winter! You just need to show your ONEcard, and you can stay protected from that nasty flu bug all winter long.

Tip 3:    Give Yourself A Break

Note: You don't actually have to eat a Kit Kat bar to enjoy a break...

Like we mentioned in our post “7 Ways to Avoid the Freshman 15”  sitting all day to study is exhausting for your body and brain. Schedule time for breaks during your study sessions, and stick to that schedule. Set a timer to keep you accountable to the amount of time you’ve planned to break, but make sure that you don’t skip your breaks.  

Give your eyes a break too – for every 20 minutes you look at a computer or textbook, focus on something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. It will help you to prevent head-ache causing eye strain, and keep your eyes healthy! Check out this video on the 20/20/20 rule:

Tip 4:    Manage Stress

Although stress can help to motivate you to study, too much stress can reduce your productivity, cause anxiety, and make you perform poorly on your exams. Know what works best to reduce your stress – it might be meditation, social time, or exercise. Make sure you take the time to keep your stress in check. Keep your expectations on yourself realistic, and try not to stress too much on exam day – just have confidence and do your best. 

Tip 5:    Exercise

Many students find that exercising during finals helps to keep them energized, focused, and feeling good. Exercise helps to keep your body healthy, and your mind sharp. It’s a great way to spend a study break, and it’s easy to do! Hit up the Butterdome and use the track, pool, or the gym. If you’re feeling really crunched on time, there are tons of workouts you can do in just a couple of minutes, in your own room – try searching “Dorm Room Workout” on Google, and you’ll find a ton of options to try! 

Tip 6: Know Your Resources

The U of A campus has plenty of great resources to help you stay healthy all year-round. If you feel like you need help, but aren't sure that you know where to turn, check out the complete listing of student services on the Dean of Students page, or stop by an InfoLink location and ask them which service they would recommend for your individual needs. 

Be sure to check out the Mental Health Centre's website to learn about the different workshops that they offer on issues like sleep, healthy eating, managing anxiety, and more. 

If you'd like to learn more about staying health in University then be sure to sign up for Student Health 101, a magazine put out by the Health and Wellness Team. 

To learn more about how your fellow students are trying to make campus a healthier place for us all, you can also plan to stop by the Healthy Campus Symposium on Saturday, November 12.

So, what do you do to stay healthy during midterms? Hit the comments, and share your tips with your fellow students!

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About the Author

My name is Erin and I’m going into my eighth, and final, year at the University of Alberta. When I grow up, I want to be a fairy princess… but since the U of A doesn’t offer that program, I am working on completing my Bachelor of Elementary Education.

I can usually be found consuming excessive amounts of caffeine in the library, volunteering with my sorority sisters, or hitting up the latest campus events.

What I love most about the U of A is how different the experience is for everyone, and how many experiences each student can have. I hope to share my stories and yours, so that together we can discover what this amazing campus has to offer!