With spring break quickly approaching, students are preparing for a long-awaited midsemester break. Spring break is a double-edged sword, because it’s a reminder to students that it’s time to start preparing for midterm exams and finishing midterm projects.

Midterms are recognized as the few weeks looming midsemester when students may have overlapping exams, projects and other academic work, all requiring attention within a short period of time.

“It may seem like a conspiracy amongst the professors, but there is no coordination. It is just a coincidence,” professor Christopher Cook said.

According to Cook, students seem to overreact to the assignments.

“I can understand finals are always a freakout, but students freak out about any assignment now,” he said.

Some UPJ students are not as worried, relying on techniques and strategies they believe to be successful to get through midterms.

Sophomore Shannon Everhart said the material covered as a nursing major tends to overlap in many of her other classes. She notices while studying for one exam that the material can serve as review for a different exam, she said.

Everhart said her general study strategy is to rephrase and recopy class notes, explaining the material to other people and studying the night before.

Senior Cassie Nath said that when she first came to UPJ, her study strategy relied heavily on all-nighters, but she refined her strategy after she began taking the time to type her handwritten notes after every class.

“It takes a while, but it is very beneficial.”

Nath said now she prepares a week before, still stays up late the night before an exam and wakes up early to continue working.

“I am still a project procrastinator; I will start a week before it’s due.”

Sophomore, Zachary McQueen strongly advocates perpetual studying. McQueen said, he occupies the library on a daily basis for two to four hours.

“When you make studying a part of your daily routine, it seems less like a chore,” he said.

McQueen said the strategy he finds the most beneficial is to read through notes every day a week in advance.

“Studying the first three days makes the other four days a review. I have never waited till the night before to study.”

Sophmore Andrew Barchowsky said he is willing to take the risk and only start studying the night before an exam.

“I just read the notes and the textbooks, and have found occasional success.”

Cook said the best advice he can give to a student struggling with a class is to go talk to the professor and be honest.