Midterms.

That word alone can strike fear into the hearts of many students.

With heaps of material to review and an abundance of information to recall from the very beginning of the school year, midterm exams can cause many students to be unhappy during the days spent preparing for the exams and the exam days themselves.

“Exams make me feel really stressed out,” sophomore Erica Daris said. “I like to have good grades so exams make me nervous, seeing as they could drop your grade significantly.”

Most students experience mild to severe stress due to midterm exams.

“Midterms make me feel kinda nervous,” sophomore Aleena Rooney said.

Though midterms can invoke a range of emotions in students, those emotions are commonly negative.

“Midterms make me feel exhausted,” sophomore Michael Gornicki said. “They are really long and there’s a lot of things to cover. You have to know all of it for the test and review everything.”

Though midterms can be very exhausting and intimidating, all hope is not lost for stressed students. There are many ways to reduce stress while preparing for exams.

“I take some time for myself during midterms so I don’t overwhelm myself,” Gornicki said.

Studying for midterms can make students feel more comfortable with the material they need to know, and therefore reduce stress  in the days leading up to the exam.

” I study to deal with the nervousness of exams,” Rooney said.

There are many different ways to study for exams, but review guides given to students from teachers have proven to be extremely helpful to students when studying.

“I normally just study by looking at the review guide and having someone ask me the questions, then I’ll answer,” Daris said.

Staying positive in the face of the negative feelings brought on by exams can be tough, but some students had ideas of how to do just that.

“I keep myself happy during midterms by trying to stick to my hobbies and things i like as much as possible,” Daris said. “Exam times are really stressful, so it’s best to stick to what makes you happy.”

Taking a break from studying seems to be vital to achieve a positive mindset during exam time.

“Just don’t think about it too much and take lots of breaks while studying,” sophomore Haley Kelly said.

Looking on the bright side of midterm exams could be helpful as well in staying composed.

“Think, once it’s over, you don’t have to do it again till the end of the year,” Rooney said.