By Allison Eichler
Special to the Chronicle

Sharpen your pencils and take the caps off your pens, because midterms are in full swing. While none of us want to be reminded of the days ahead that are sure to be full of studying and all-nighters, the reality is that midterms are unavoidable and creeping up all too quickly. But have no fear – put those energy drinks down and take a deep breath; I’m going to help you get through this.

The most important thing you can do to study for your midterms is to start early. You probably have a hundred other things to worry about, but if you can put aside at least half an hour every day to review your notes and make a couple of flashcards, you’ll be golden when it comes to the inevitable last-minute cram session the night before the midterm. Take it from someone who has waited until a night or two before the big test to start making notes to study from, procrastinating never works.

Studying doesn’t have to be boring. Get a study group together. Even if you and your friends don’t have the same classes, studying in the company of some close pals can be much more enjoyable than sitting alone. Get together in the library and have everyone bring a snack to share with the group; learning and eating at the same time sounds like a win-win to me.

Need some extra discipline to get your studying done? Turn your phone off and put it away, and turn your laptop’s Wi-Fi off so you won’t be tempted by the Internet! Need a fun way to motivate yourself to read through that textbook? Put bits of your favorite snack food over each paragraph! Each time you read through a chunk of text, treat yourself with a tasty reward.

Don’t forget it’s important to take breaks. Take 15 or 20 minutes every hour or so to give your mind a break and to refresh yourself. No matter what happens, just remember that your midterm is just a test and your grade is exactly that: just a grade. If you do not perform as well as you hoped to, set a goal to rock your final instead. Everything will work itself out in the end, so don’t stress yourself out. Get a good night’s sleep the day before your test, have a good breakfast and tell yourself that you can do it.