You sit down to study, open your laptop… and suddenly everything else feels more interesting. Your phone lights up, your roommate starts talking, and somehow you’re reorganizing your desk instead of reviewing notes.
Midterm season has a way of testing more than just what you’ve learned—it tests your focus, your routine, and how well you manage your time. The good news? With a few intentional habits, you can make studying feel more manageable and a lot less overwhelming.
Here’s your midterm survival guide to staying focused, organized, and ready for exam week at The Station on Washington.
Start With a Simple Study Plan
Instead of trying to study everything at once, break your workload into smaller, manageable pieces. Focusing on specific topics rather than entire chapters makes studying feel less overwhelming and more productive.
Mapping out what to study each day also helps you avoid last-minute cramming. A simple plan—even written on your phone or a sticky note—can keep you on track and reduce stress as exams get closer.
Ditch the Library Commute
One of the biggest time-wasters during midterms is hunting for a table at Walter or Wilson Library. Instead of lugging your heavy laptop and chargers across campus, take advantage of the quiet study nooks right here at home. Having professional-grade study spaces in your Minneapolis student apartment means you can stay in the “zone” longer without the stress of a crowded commute or a dead phone battery.
Don’t Study Alone (All the Time)
Studying doesn’t have to be a solo experience. Reviewing material with classmates can help you understand concepts faster and stay motivated.
Explaining ideas out loud, comparing notes, or quizzing each other are all effective ways to reinforce what you’ve learned. Study groups can also help keep you accountable when motivation starts to drop.
For students in our UMN apartments, even a quick group session can make studying feel less isolating.
Schedule “Movement” Breaks
Science shows that physical activity improves memory retention. You don’t need a full-body workout; even 20 minutes of stretching in the yoga studio or a quick session in the fitness center can “reset” your brain. Living in student apartments near UMN with on-site wellness tools makes it easy to incorporate these breaks without losing hours of study time.
Build a Routine You Can Stick To
The most effective study habits are the ones you can actually maintain. Creating a simple routine—same place, same time, same structure—can help your brain get into “focus mode” faster each day.
You don’t need a perfect schedule. Just something consistent enough to keep you moving forward without feeling overwhelmed.
Take Care of Yourself, Too
It might feel like you need to study nonstop, but rest is just as important as review time. Skipping sleep or breaks can actually make it harder to focus and retain information.
Balancing study sessions with rest, meals, and a little downtime helps you stay energized and perform better when it matters most. Midterms are important—but so is your well-being.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you might also find it helpful to check out these simple tips to reduce stress during the college grind for extra ways to stay balanced during busy weeks.
Optimize Your Study Sanctuary
Your UMN off campus apartment should be a place where you can actually get work done. If you’re feeling stuck, try a five-minute reset: clear the clutter off your desk, open the blinds for some natural light, and set a timer for 50 minutes of deep work followed by a 10-minute break. Separating your “chill zone” (your bed) from your “work zone” (your desk) is essential for keeping your brain sharp during a long study session.
Stay Focused, Stay Balanced
Midterms can be intense, but a few simple habits can make them more manageable. At The Station on Washington, your apartment gives you the space to reset, recharge, and stay focused when it matters most—so you can handle midterms and still enjoy student life along the way.