Now that the semester is finally in full swing, the mention of mid-terms is quickly approaching.
Essays, presentations and exams are all obstacles Shippensburg University students will shortly have to face.

With all of the added demands that professors throw at students during mid-terms and finals one critical factor that can influence student’s scores on assignments, is stress.

According to Psychecentral.com, stress can be defined as an individual’s response to the demand of sudden change; so with sudden assignments consistently popping up, stress can be a constant struggle.

One thing that I think adds to stress with students is that there is really not a designated mid-term schedule.

For finals, students have a set schedule to plan their studying. For mid-terms, there are a random few weeks in the middle of the semester where students are assigned projects and exams.

I feel like mid-terms could be less stressful for students at SU if there was a mid-term schedule.
I like to know when I am going to have big exams or projects.

Yes, I could definitely know when these assignments are due based on my class syllabus.
However, I feel like having random exams scheduled around my other class work just adds to stress.

I like the idea of a set week for my mid-terms.

It works for finals, and I think that a week dedicated to mid-terms makes sense.

Pyschecentral.com suggests that the best way for students to cope with stress is to plan for stressful situations. With midterms scheduled during random weeks, students need to factor in important exams with normal school work.

I know personally if I have an exam coming up that I know will significantly impact my grade I will let my other work fall to the wayside. With a designated mid-term week students could allow for their full attention to fall to their exams.

A major factor of having mid-terms thrown in with regular class work and activities is stress.
Stress can cause numerous symptoms that can affect more than just school work, according to the Counseling and Wellness Center’s online web page.

Symptoms include, negative self-talk, depression, fear or anxiety and mood swings.
Added anxiety can also cause weight loss, loss of appetite and lack of sleep.

I think people label stress as something that everyone has to deal with and it is not a big deal.
However, too much could lead to serious problems like panic attacks and anxiety — two things that students do not need.

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