It is currently the most wonderful time of the fall semester.

There is pumpkin spiced everything in every grocery store in the U.S., McDonald’s has all day breakfast, bar hours have just been permanently set at 2 a.m. and the Chicago Cubs even made the playoffs for the first time in seven years.

What can possibly make this fall better?

I will tell you what can make this fall better than any other, and that one thing is midterms.

It is that time of the semester where projects and exams are happening in lives of every student on campus.

It is also that time of the semester where students look at how they have done over the past seven weeks.

No matter what grade you have in a class, just remember one thing before going into your tests, projects, presentations and any thing else.

Remember to study or actually put effort into the work you are doing.

School should always be a student’s first priority, but sometimes it seems like it is not.

I always hear about people going out and forgetting to study before exams, and that is just ridiculous.

How can someone forget to study for an exam when it is on the syllabus and repeated every class prior to the exam?

Getting an education is the reason why we are here, and a student should never settle for just passing an exam.

Try your best and try to go for more than just passing.

It is always tempting to go out, but forget about going out for a night or two.

School is a hundred times more important.

If you are scared about missing out on something for not going out with your friends, do not worry.

The bars will be there next week.

This next week will be stressful for many students, but relax and just take it one day at a time.

Most students will be in the same boat and working hard on midterms.

If you are struggling with a class, remember to go to office hours and talk with your professors.

That is why they hold office hours.

Professors are literally waiting in their offices for students to go in and ask questions.

Take advantage of that opportunity.

Start study groups with classmates if you have a big test coming up. 

Some people learn better with the help of others as opposed to just re-reading chapters and looking at notes.

So start buckling down and studying because this is also the part of the semester that can make or break it for students.

Do not procrastinate any work and whatever you do, do not cram for an exam.

Cramming for an exam can lead to failure.  You are attempting to retain so much information in a short period of time, and the chance of remembering everything is slim.

Study a section or chapter each day, and go over everything the day before the exam to retain the most possible information.

Do not deprive yourself of sleep.

This can worsen how you do on an exam. Get a good night’s rest.

Take this next week seriously.

It is not just another week in the semester.

Midterms should not be looked at as just another round of exams.

These exams show will show how well you have been doing in class over the past two months.

Everything may be stressful right now, but also remember it will be over in a week.

Chris Picazo is a senior journalism major. He can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected]