Flyby Encourages: Midterm Season Motivation

Dear struggling Harvard students,

Whether it’s the seasonal depression, mid-semester roommate beef, or a dreadful midterm for the class you barely go to, this time of year is always a bit rough. Even with holiday festivities (~spooky season~), it’s normal to be a bit gloomy this time of year. But don’t worry — whether you’re a first year or a senior, here are some words of encouragement from us here at Flyby because yes, you CAN get through this semester.

Hot Take: Cramming is Normal — You CAN Bounce Back.

Maybe you only have a few days before your midterm, and are feeling absolutely terrible because you understand -13949702 percent of the content, your time management skills are nonexistent, and you skipped section that one day. Take a deep breath. Harvard schedules are notoriously difficult to navigate and sometimes, no matter how organized you are, you end up having to skip club meetings, cancel shifts at work, and cram your studying. You’re allowed to slip up and cram — in fact, so many other students are in a similar situation. Now, do your best and study when you can, and you’ll be able to cross that midterm off your to-do list ;)

Fake It ’Til You Make It

Even if you feel like you can’t manifest a decent grade in that midterm — you gotta fake it ’til you make it! Go look in a mirror and tell yourself that you’re the smartest person in the world who is going to ace that assignment or exam (maybe don’t do this in the communal bathrooms if you don’t want people to think you’re crazy — or do, for a little drama ;)).

You Come First!

Drink water, sleep eight hours a day, eat ALL your meals. It doesn’t matter what you get on that exam if you aren’t taking care of yourself. Exams come and go, but your health will follow you. Take care of yourself and try your best — literally nothing else matters more than you.

Reality Check: Life Goes On

Take a deep breath and realize doing poorly on a midterm or assignment is not the end of the world. You will still get that internship, research position or acceptance to graduate school. You are still a Harvard student and will graduate on time (if you want to). Best of all, you can take a few gems and raise that GPA. There is never an end-all-be-all, we promise.

Keep on trudging, Flyby readers — we believe in you! Before you know it, you’ll be getting ready with your friends for Halloween, Harvard-Yale, Thanksgiving, and formals season — our favorite parts of the semester are right around the corner.